Nalu Week 2018
by ShanaHollows
Summary: Another year has passed and it's Nalu Week!
1. Drive what?

"We are so gonna get caught," Lucy said under her breath as she followed Natsu to the edge of the grass.

"Mayyyyybe," Natsu drawled, "But you gotta admit, it's gonna be fun in the meantime...plus, it's practice for tomorrow's tournament."

"What if someone hears us?"

Nastu chuckled, "So what? They're all at the clubhouse getting shit-faced, then they'll go back to the campground in the other direction. Gajeel doesn't hear nothin' when he's sleepin'. Nobody will hear us if we keep quiet."

Lucy grinned, worries set aside.

"Go first," he prompted, handing her a club.

Lucy stumbled as she placed her tee in the ground, "First hole is which way?"

Natsu scanned the vast darkness, pointing over the ledge to the open plain below, "Do you see it? The white flag marks it."

Lucy put her golf ball onto the tee, "You're gonna lose, Natsu. I belonged to a country club right up until I left my father's mansion. I've perfected my game."

Natsu snickered, "Don't count on it, Luce. You forget I'm a Dragon Slayer...I've got skills too!"

Lucy raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? I _would_ like to know _more_ about these skills! If that's the case, GAME ON!"

"Wait! Wait!" Natsu interrupted as she was about to drive the golf ball.

Lucy stumbled, falling into Natsu's arms. They both laughed as he helped her upright, all thoughts of staying quiet dissolved.

" 'Member the rules?"

"I know, I know. I'm looking forward to taking you down…piece by piece."

She bent her knees, gripping the club as she searched out the white flag in the darkness. Natsu stood back, clearly amused as she tested her swing, fell completely over, jumped back up, then pulled her club back for the real thing.

It was a perfect shot, even by Lucy's standards - and despite the fact that she only had the light of the moon. Not only did her ball leave the platform, but it bounced onto the green below, mere yards from the hole.

Natsu gawked for a minute, catching himself when Lucy turned with a triumphant grin.

"Tell me again why we're doing this again?" Natsu asked, "Why me and not the stripper?"

She brushed her breasts quite purposely on his arm as they switched positions so that Natsu could take his turn, his hand brushing her ass perhaps a little less purposely.

"Because 'the stripper' doesn't keep my bed warm at night," Lucy said sultrily, "I wouldn't want to be here with anyone else but you...plus, we're really, really drunk."

Natsu shrugged, "Okay - good enough for me."

He assumed the position, bending his knees like he'd seen Lucy do. He wasn't drunk. The few drinks they'd had at dinner barely make him tipsy. He was pretty sure Lucy had been a little more drunk that he'd been, but he couldn't smell the alcohol on her as strongly as before. She wasn't wavering on her feet and her pupils weren't dilated anymore. Her stumbles may have been the remnants of her stupor, but his blood tingled as he realized she was definitely mostly sober...and yet they had both made a conscious decision to play this game anyway.

'Drunk Lucy' was much more flirtatious...and 'drunk Natsu' liked it. There was more than one game going on here.

"FORRRRREEEE!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, swinging the club.

He missed the ball completely, making Lucy keel over laughing.

"Whatever! I'll get it this time," he determined.

"FIIIIIIIIIIVVVEEEE!"

Natsu whacked the ball, Lucy joining him at the edge of the cliff to see where it would land.

"I don't see it," Lucy declared, "There's my ball, but I don't see yours."

"Let's go find it!" Natsu agreed, grabbing her hand to pull her toward the golf cart they'd hotwired.

Lucy didn't care that his palms were sweaty...or that he steered the cart with one hand so he wouldn't have to let go of hers. She teetered in the seat next to him, then used his body for support as he drove them down the hill. It occurred to her that he wasn't complaining about being motion sick, but she didn't want to question why. Tonight had been the most magical night of her life. Depending on the outcome of their game, she hoped it would be the start of something magical for a lot longer than that.

They tumbled out of the cart, laughing uproariously. It crossed Lucy's mind that if there was a night guard on the course, they would be busted for sure, but she honestly didn't care. She and Natsu had never been so blatantly…

"MY BALL IS CLOSER!" Natsu sing-songed as they approached the hole, "Yup - definitely mine!"

"They're both white!" Lucy complained, "How can you tell?"

Natsu pointed to his nose, "You know the rule, Luce...you lost the hole."

Lucy sighed, dramatically reaching for the edge of her jacket, "I'll give you this hole, Dragneel...but it's the last one you're getting."

"Just strip it," Natsu urged.

Lucy pulled her jacket off, flinging it toward the cart, "Okay, where's the next hole?"

Natsu pointed, grinning ear-to-ear.

Lucy picked her ball up, putting a pink dot on it with a highlighter from her purse, "So that there's no more cheating."

"Cheating!" Natsu yelled, "My ball was closer!"

"Maybe," Lucy conceded with a wink, "But now we'll know for sure."

The next hole, there was no doubt about it. Lucy's ball was closer by several hundred yards. Natsu pulled off his jacket, adding it to Lucy's in the cart.

The hole after that, Lucy lost again. She grinned, reaching for the bottom of her halter top when the sprinklers came on.

Natsu's eyes bulged out of his head as the water cascaded over Lucy's wet body. She slid her top over her head, her bra now fully exposed to him.

"Luce…" he whispered.

She stretched her arms above her head, giving him the best view possible as she tossed the garment toward the cart, "The water feels good, Natsu! Too bad you're fully dressed!"

Their eyes locked as she turned to face him.

He wasn't expecting her to lunge toward him, pushing him into the sprinkler's path so that he'd get soaked too. He yelped at the temperature of it, then dived for her, taking her down to the ground with him. They rolled on the grassy field as he launched a full tickle attack. Lucy shrieked, trying to counter attack, but suffered from a severe case of the giggles instead. She wrapped her arms around his neck, lulling him into laying down in the grass beside her.

Lucy propped her head in his arm against his chest. Despite the fact that the sprinkler still rained down upon them, neither were in a hurry to move.

"Look at the stars!" Lucy gasped, "Natsu, it's so clear out here!"

Natsu nodded, as she took his hand, using hers to help him point to a constellation.

"That's Leo," she said softly, "And over there is Virgo."

"They sure look different in their star forms," Natsu commented.

Lucy felt her keys warm, Loke desperately fighting to open his gate. She blocked him, warning him sternly not to use his own power to come either. She was in no danger...his presence _was not_ wanted nor needed.

"Cancer is to the right of Leo," she pointed, "Do you see him?"

Natsu strained his eyes. He couldn't see any of the formations or how they represented her spirits...but far be it from him to interrupt the moment.

"No wonder you feel safe out in the open in the middle of the night," Natsu said thoughtfully, "Your spirits are watching you all the time."

She nodded, a warm smile on her face, "Right...that's the only reason."

Natsu watched her, his heart pounding. He wondered if she knew just how amazing she was. His hand reached out, moving her bangs back from her eyes.

"We spend almost all of our time together," she lamented, allowing herself to get lost in his stare, "Why don't we have more moments like this?"

Natsu bit his lower lip, unsure how to answer that question, "I thought most of our moments were like this."

She giggled, tracing the outline of his cheekbones, "I think we both know something has changed tonight. I'm not drunk, Natsu. I'm flirting with you because I want to."

Natsu froze, propping himself up on one elbow, "I guess I knew that. I'm not drunk either...but it makes me happy that you're admitting it out loud."

They rested their heads together, both completely contented.

"So what do we do now?" Natsu asked.

He _meant_ about their newfound flirting. Natsu was the first to admit that he didn't really know how to flirt. He knew that his skin sizzled with every contact. He knew that no other girl made him react like Lucy did. Beyond that, he had no idea how to handle these new feelings.

"We do what we always do," Lucy replied lightly, "Nothing has changed...we're just realizing that we're more than friends. We don't have to be uncomfortable. Let's just...let it happen."

He propped himself up on one elbow, cradling her cheek, "I'm a moron, Luce. I don't know _how_ to let it happen."

Lucy stared at his lips as they grew closer. He pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. Every muscle in her body tensed as she waited for it.

"We still have more holes to play!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet, "You're not naked yet!"

Lucy was torn between laughing and sighing heavily. It wasn't quite the answer she'd hoped for. For a moment there, she was pretty sure he was going to kiss her.

However, Natsu was being Natsu...and that's why she liked him.

She hopped to her feet, running to the cart behind him.

Six holes later, Lucy had lost her shirt and skirt. Natsu had lost his jacket, pants, shirt and scarf.

"It's sort of cold out here," Lucy murmured as they drove to the next hole. Her eyes were getting heavy.

"A little," Natsu agreed, "But I'm in my boxers and you're in your bra and panties...whatdoya expect?"

Lucy hummed, her eyes fluttering shut, "What time does the tournament start tomorrow?"

"8:00 am," Natsu pulled the cart to a stop, wrapping his arms around her, "And it's 4:00 am now. Is that better? Still cold?"

"So cold," she whispered.

Natsu leaned forward, hesitantly taking her in his arms. Normally he'd receive a Lucy Kick for his boldness, but he didn't think she'd kick him this time. She seemed to like the contact, pushing herself against him. His body heat warmed her almost instantly.

She lifted her face, staring into his deep emerald eyes, then rose to her tiptoes, brushing her lips gently against his. They froze, staring at each other.

"We still have 2 more holes to play," Lucy reminded him as she stepped back.

"We can quit," Natsu murmured.

"We could," Lucy replied, holding him at arm's length, "But aren't you curious what will happen if we both lose another hole? Wasn't this what we've been driving at all night?"

Natsu grinned his trademark shit eating grin, hurrying after her as she raced to steal the driver's seat of the golf cart.

* * *

The serenity of the vast green space was enough to calm anyone's nerves. The raw, natural beauty of the golf course enamored its patrons. Tall, century old trees grew sporadically throughout, small pools of water dotting the entire course. There was nothing that could compare in all of Magnolia...no other haven came close...

...unless it the day of the Fairy Tail Annual Golf Tournament.

On this day, the manager had to close the course to regular patrons. It just wasn't...safe...to allow regular folk to play while the destructive mages of Fairy Tail took over. Yet, the mayor of Magnolia paid the course handsomely for the once-a-year reward to the guild that kept them all safe. It was the least the manager could do.

"FOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Someone bellowed.

A golf ball blazed in front of his face, smashing into the wall of the club house next to him...and embedded into the wall. The manager retreated indoors. He wasn't guaranteed safety there either, but at least he wouldn't be in the direct line of fire.

"Great shot, Iron Head!" Gray cracked up laughing as they came over the top of the hill, noting the golf ball's final resting place, "That's the 4th ball you've destroyed - and we're only on the 1st hole!"

"Shut up, Icicle," Gajeel muttered, examining the hole in the wall to see if the ball could be salvaged.

He groaned. It was toast. He nodded gratefully to Juvia when she shot a small water beam to put out any lingering hot spots around the ball.

"It wasn't even in the right direction!" Gray cackled, "You were supposed to land it in the green over _there."_

"Let's see you do better!" Gajeel growled.

The ice mage grinned cockily, putting his tee to the ground.

Juvia offered him the golf bag to select a club, but Gray waved her away, "Thanks...but I prefer to use my own. ICE MAKE - GOLF CLUB!"

"Where are Natsu and Lucy?" Levy asked, glancing around at the other Fairy Tail mages, heading out to their assigned holes to start the tournament.

"Who cares?" Gray growled as he put the tee in the ground. He located his target down on the greens below, testing his swing before preparing to make his shot for real, "Knowing Natsu, he's probably sawing logs in Lucy's bed. They both had a lot to drink last night."

"Come to think of it," Levy said thoughtfully, "I _do_ think I saw them leave together."

"Whatever," Gajeel grunted, stepping up to take his turn, "They snooze, they lose. That dinner prize is gonna be _ours._ "

Levy took her club, preparing to place it back into its bag, frowning slightly as she spotted a something on the ground, just inside the bushes.

"SHRIMP!" Gajeel snapped impatiently, as she bent to pick it up, "Let's go!"

Levy sighed, "I'm coming, Gajeel. Keep your pants on!"

She glanced back to the bushes, wondering who _hadn't_ kept their pants on. That was a belt. She was sure she'd seen that style somewhere before…

Levy shook her head. It couldn't be Lucy's. What on earthland would it be doing out here?

With all four of their turns completed, the group got in their golf carts to drive to the next hole, passing the bushes where a golf cart hid safely behind its branches. Two new lovers spooned in the back seat, Natsu's jacket tossed overtop of them to conceal their nakedness.

* * *

 _ **A/N: AGH! Forgot to post the A/N at the end!**_

 _ **WELCOME TO NALU WEEK! One of my Favourite times of the year!**_

 _ **As you can see, I did something a little different than everyone else's, considering most people will drive in an actual car. Instead, Natsu and Lucy are driving balls (maybe/maybe not literally).**_

 _ **Anyway, I'm looking forward to another week of fun entries! If you're bored in the meantime, Nalu weeks 2016 and 2017 are posted on my wall as well as Nalu Week Random Prompts.**_

 _ **See you on the 18th!**_

 _ **~Shana~**_


	2. Apathetic Fascination

**APATHETIC FASCINATION**

 **(Keywords: Apathy, Fascination)**

 _ **For Rein Serenity - because I love chatting it up with you!**_

* * *

Laxus and the Thunder Legion crashed through the guild doors, announcing their successful return from their mission...just in time for Evergreen's rendezvous with the ladies at the local public bath.

"That woman of yours…" Laxus shook his head at Elfman, "She's one pushy broad when she wants something. We weren't _that_ late, but she sure as hell made us haul ass to get back here."

"She's not my woman!" Elfman protested, "We're just friends! _Manly_ friends!"

The all-men group laughed hard, slapping the confused Elfman's back. Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Sure, Elfman," Macao chided, "And everyone preferred me as master."

Makarov snorted, "I sure as hell did."

Natsu took a long sip of his fireball smoothie. Guild drama never interested him unless fighting was involved, but today, he _really_ couldn't care less. He just wanted Lucy to hurry up so they could go fishing, like their _original_ plan today... _before_ the girls decided they were going to the bath instead.

"It's weird not to see any women here," Bickslow commented, "Even Mira, Lisanna, and Kinana have gone to this bath thing."

"Bath thing! Bath thing!" his babies echoed.

Yes. The bath thing. And Lucy had gone too. _Even though they'd made plans._ He couldn't help being a bit sore about it. Lucy didn't often break her promises. Natsu had no idea why all the women in the guild insisted they should have a bath together.

Natsu wanted to pull his hair out. If it wasn't for the fact that Lucy had told him to wait for her there, he would have left a long time ago.

"It's great!" Gray declared, "We can do what we want and say what we want!"

Gray stripped his shirt, letting it flutter to the ground behind him.

"And nobody is going to care!" he threw a fist up into the air, expecting the other men to cheer their agreement.

Instead, they turned back to their beverages, shaking their heads.

"Nobody wants to see that, man," Max told him, "We're not gonna freak out about it like the ladies do, but that doesn't mean we're cool with it."

Gray pouted, reaching for his shirt, "That was cold. The ladies freak out...but not because they don't want to see it."

" _Juvia_ wants to see it," Macao corrected, "Nobody else has a choice."

"Anyway," Laxus interjected, returning the men's gaze back toward him...and away from the dressing Gray, "The point is, for someone who claims to be manly, Evergreen has you wrapped around her little finger. And now she's getting bossy with the rest of the Thunder Legion."

"Wasn't she always bossy?" Jet whispered to Droy.

"Oh, do you mean like Mira has you wrapped around her little finger?" Elfman shot back.

Some of the men started laughing again. Some were too scared.

"Mira and I aren't a couple," Laxus told Elfman sternly, standing toe to toe with the giant, who was taller only by 5 inches or so.

"Neither are Ever and I," Elfman replied, "The point is, you bend over backwards for my sister...which is the only reason I haven't beaten you into next week for sleeping with her casually. So think twice before bashing the way I treat Ever."

Laxus chuckled, "Just saying...in your relationship, Evergreen wears the pants."

Elman growled, balling his fists.

The tension in the room was thick. Natsu took in the drama quietly. _Now_ it was getting interesting.

"It doesn't matter who wears the pants," Jellal put in. Just treat each other with respect and dignity."

"When did you get here?" Bickslow gawked.

"This coming from the man who's in love with Erza," Laxus chuckled, "We _all_ know who wears the pants there."

"Erza and I have a mature relationship," Jellal informed him, "It's based on mutual trust and respect for each other."

Natsu banged his head on the counter. He should have just gone with Lucy to the bath. Yeah, the other women would have been creeped out at first, but he got along with all of them. They'd accept him there sooner or later.

"Whatever, man," Gray laughed, "Erza would pummel you if you stepped out of line! Better you than me! I'm happy the way things are! No pants needed."

"If that's the way you like it, fine!" Jellal told him pointedly, "It's obvious you don't return Juvia's feelings, but you need to tell her that."

Gray sighed, "I _have_ told her that. I prefer her as a friend. She's my nakama...but I don't love her."

"That's not her opinion!" Gajeel cackled, "She's got you under her thumbnail. It's Juvia or no one for you, Icicle!"

"There's no shame in respecting one another's opinion," Alzack put in, changing the subject to avoid another fist fight, "Bisca and I have a mutual way of working out our issues."

Natsu poured himself another fire whiskey.

 _Hurry up, Luce….save me...PLEASE!_

"You know who else works out their issues amicably?" Freed asked.

The other men turned to him.

"Natsu and Lucy," Freed stated.

Natsu froze. He did _not_ want to be a part of this conversation. When it came to matters of the heart, he preferred to stay ignorant.

"Yeah, Natsu!" Gray grinned sadistically, happy to turn the grilling session to his frenemy, "How come you and Lucy work so well together, but you're not a thing yet?"

"A thing?" Natsu repeated dumbly.

"Yeah - why haven't you made a move on Bunny Girl?" Gajeel demanded.

"I've made lots of moves with her!" Natsu declared, "We go on jobs all the time!"

Gajeel and Gray exchanged glances, closing in on Natsu. The other men crowded in too.

"C'mon, Natsu...spill," Gray told him, "There's no way you and Lucy can be as close as you are and not be something more."

"Yeah, we can," Natsu waved him off, "Luce and I are just...Luce and Natsu. Nothing more, nothing less."

"You're always together," Droy stated.

"Of course we are! We're partners!" Natsu shook his head.

"She wears your clothes!" Jet cut in.

"Not my fault she strips as often as the Ice Dick!" Natsu shot back, "I gotta cover her with something!"

"You sleep in her bed!" Max exclaimed.

Natsu shrugged, "I get tired! Do you even know how far my house is from hers?"

"Then why are you always in her underwear drawer?" Gray said cooly, drawing 'ooooooooooohhs' from the crowd.

"They smell nice!" Natsu cried out, "And how the hell do you know that I go in her underwear drawer?"

The entire crowd pointed to Happy, who up until now had been players checkers in the corner with Pantherlily.

"I do it out of concern!" the Exceed cried out, "Sniffing women's underwear _cannot_ be hygienic! This is a real problem! I figured Natsu needs all the assistance he can get!"

"We could start a support group for him," Droy suggested.

"Tuesdays are good for me!" Jet added.

Natsu's move to kill his best friend was interrupted by Gajeel, pushing him back into his seat.

"Just admit it, Natsu," Gajeel prodded, "She's got you wrapped around her little finger. You love her."

Natsu lifted his eyes cooly, "We're just us. That's all. Besides, shouldn't you be looking in the mirror? Do you know the girls even have a ship name for you? _Gajevy?"_

Gajeel grinned, "I know. But we're not talking about us. We're talking about _you._ You love the Bunny Girl, don't you? _"_

"I respect Lucy as my partner and colleague!" Natsu said evenly, "We don't need any of the drama. Lucy is my best friend and confidant. She's always there for me, even when I don't ask her to be. So call it what you want to. Makes no difference to me."

"He loooooooooooooves her!" Happy shouted, soaring into the air before Natsu could grab him.

Natsu shrugged, "I'm done with this conversation. The girls need to come back soon. You guys are totally lame without them."

The men stared after him as he headed for the door, all of them with gaping mouths.

"How could he be so aloof?" Laxus demanded, "An idiot could see how close Natsu and Lucy are! Is he really that apathetic to his own feelings?"

"Do you even _know_ Natsu?" Gray asked.

He and Gajeel broke out into hysterical laughter.

"Point and case," Makarov sighed, "Point and case."

* * *

Natsu arrived at Lucy's apartment, getting in through the window. Thankfully, his Exceed best friend had decided to stay behind with the rest of the guild. He needed the time to contemplate everything that had been said at the guild that night.

It was fascinating, now that he thought about it. The men of Fairy Tail were always teasing each other. As much as Elfman denied it, everybody - even Natsu - could see the sparks between him and Evergreen. Laxus _did_ treat Mira differently than the other women of the guild. Jellal was the only person alive that could calm Erza and live to tell about it. Maybe he wasn't 'wearing the pants', as his other guildmates had so eloquently put it, but Jellal and Erza were very good together. Gajeel and Levy were also very good to each other. Little Levy had a way of making Gajeel listen when it mattered. And Gray...well, Gray was Gray.

So, was it possible that they were right? Did he love Lucy? And what the fuck was that pants thing about? Both Natsu and Lucy wore pants!

When she came in the door, Natsu was in the corner of the living room in the big armchair, his legs tucked underneath of him. He watched her put her purse down and stretch, letting out a satisfied hum as she kicked off her shoes.

"Oh Natsu!" she grinned when she noticed him, "I was just about to change and go to the guild to find you."

She pulled the milk out of the fridge along with leftover turkey, pickles, cheese, lettuce, onion, chicken legs, and caesar salad. Natsu's expression softened as he watched her. Even just back from the spa, her first thoughts were of him. Now that Lucy knew he wasn't at the guild, her automatic reaction was to feed him. Was that love?

"You're hungry, right?" she asked lightly, then proceeded to make his favourite 'everything' sandwich, "The spa was amazing, Natsu. We had the best time. We talked about lots of different things."

She started telling him about some of the things the girls talked about, but Natsu couldn't hear a word she said. He wondered if she knew how beautiful she was...inside and out. Lucy was the kindest, sweetest person he knew. He felt lucky to be included in her life.

Natsu got out of the chair, crossing the room.

"Time got away from us," Lucy continued, "The next thing we knew, we'd been there for probably 3 hours! My skin is going to be waterlogged for a week! Oh! And thanks for fixing the pipe in the bathroom! It's not leaking anymore. That's such a relief. I was _sure_ I'd have to call -"

Natsu wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her back firmly. Lucy froze, knife in mid-air as she was about to spread the mayonnaise.

"Natsu? Is everything all right?"

Natsu tightened his grip, burying his face in her shoulder, "Yeah, Luce...it's just a feeling."

"A feeling?" she asked, turning so that she could hug him back.

He nodded, tightening his grip around her waist.

"Hey Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"The guys are right, but I'm not ready to tell you about that conversation yet. I need to think about it some more. I just want you to know that I appreciate you."

"I appreciate you too," Lucy said softly, lifting his chin with delicate fingers, "Hey...are you okay?"

Natsu nodded again, drawing her in for another close hug, "I'm okay, Luce. I'll find a way to tell you...I promise. Until then, let's _both_ wear the pants."

Lucy's eyes widened, complete confusion in her eyes, but she didn't protest. Natsu was not the sentimental type, so whatever revelation he'd had, it must be major. Still, she could think of worse ways to end the evening than being enveloped in his arms.

The girls were right...she was completely in love with Natsu.

* * *

 _ **A/N: OH How I love Nalu Week! It's so cool to read all the entries!**_

 _ **Leave a comment! Seeya in a couple days.**_

 ** _~Shana~_**


	3. Sanctum in the Squalor

**SANCTUM IN THE SQUALOR**

(Nalu Week Prompts Sanctum/Squalor)

* * *

 _ **A/N: Set in the Angel of Oops 2 universe - you don't need to read Angel of Oops 2 to appreciate this...especially if you're a parent. :D**_

* * *

The 8 kids were all sitting on the couches, eyes raised expectantly as Natsu paced back and forth in front of them. Lucy stood behind her husband, arms crossed. They meant business when they addressed their kids this way, so nobody moved a muscle.

"Tonight," Natsu said, "Your mother and I are going to spend some much needed time alone. That means that you'll be on your own. Lark and Aki are in charge. We are not to be interrupted. Any questions?"

Mieske lifted his hand immediately, "Does that mean me and Connor have to put off setting off the firecrackers we found today? We were planning to blow up water bottles."

"Where in the heck did you get firecrackers?" Lucy demanded, her eyes shifting to Lark, who averted her gaze, whistling innocently.

"Hand 'em over!" Natsu ordered, his hand extended.

Connor groaned, "Can't we keep just one?"

"No way!" Natsu reiterated, "Firecrackers are dangerous. Now hand them over!"

Mieske pouted, reaching into pocket, "They're only dangerous because Mom is standing right there. If she wasn't, you'd be all over them."

He handed Natsu a firecracker, huffing as he sat back down.

"All of them!" Natsu warned, ignoring Mieske's quip, "If I find out you set them off, there will be hell to pay."

Both boys sighed heavily. Two more came out of Mieske's pocket...and another one from inside his shirt.

" _ALL OF THEM!"_ Natsu reiterated.

Connor had three more in his shorts.

Natsu pocketed them to dispose of later.

"What about my story?" Brielle interrupted. Natsu _always_ read her story for her.

"Tomorrow, Pumpkin," Natsu promised, "Aki will read it for you tonight."

"Lark," Lucy warned, pointing a finger at their eldest, "No talking on the phone tonight with girls! You are to watch your siblings."

Lark opened his mouth to protest, but shut it when Natsu glared at him.

"Aki and Aimi - no fighting!" Natsu added, "Stay away from each other if you have to, but you are not allowed to so much as banter."

The girls both gulped, nodding their agreement reluctantly.

"Haru - you have homework tonight," Natsu said, pointing a finger at him, "If you fail this test, we will _not_ be happy. And Hansuke…"

The parents exchanged glances.

"You pretty much always behave," Lucy conceded, "Just...stay out of trouble, okay?"

Hansuke nodded dutifully, gaining scornful looks from his siblings.

"We'll only be in our room," Natsu reminded them, "But work has been busy lately for both of us and we haven't had any time alone for a long time. This is important to us."

"Keep the house intact!" Lucy added.

The eight kids nodded solemnly.

"Okay...have a good night everyone," Natsu reached for Lucy's hand after she gave her two youngest hugs, "We'll see you in the morning."

They left the room hand in hand, their grip ridiculously tight as they closed their bedroom door behind them.

"How long do you give us?" Natsu sighed as they both slid down the wall.

"We'll be lucky if we have 45 minutes, an hour tops," Lucy stated.

"45 minutes, huh?" Natsu shrugged, "Good enough!"

Lucy squealed as Natsu launched his body on top of her, smothering her in playful kisses.

* * *

"Aki, I'm hungry," Brielle stated.

Aki sighed as she looked up from her book, "We ate supper not even an hour ago. You know the rule...no snacks after supper! Suck it up, little sis."

Brielle frowned, looking over to her big brother, who was already on the phone with some girl.

She grinned, then switched expressions to her best puppy dog look. Lark was incapable of resisting that.

"Larky," she purred as she climbed into his lap.

"Hold on, Jessie," Lark said, wrapping his arms around his sister, "Yeah - I meant Jerica... Honest! My baby sister is climbing in my lap...I'm babysitting tonight...she's 7... No, we don't have to hang up."

"Yes he does!" Brielle said sweetly as she took the phone from his hand, "Lark will call you later. Bye!"

She hit the 'End Call' button, curling closer onto her brother before he could get angry at her. As expected, Lark's expression immediately softened.

"What do you need, Button?" he asked affectionately.

"I'm hungry," Brielle told him, her eyes wide. Lark was the _biggest_ sap for her puppy dog look.

"Okay. Let's go find a snack," Lark lifted her off his lap, taking her hand as they went to the kitchen.

They passed by Mieske and Connor, completely oblivious to the mischievous grins on their faces.

"Lark is busy and Aki is into her book," Connor stated, "Now's our chance."

"They'll see us if we go out the living room door," Mieske stated, "And Lark is in the kitchen, so we can't use the garage door. The exits are all being guarded."

The two boys exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up.

"BATHTUB!" they both exclaimed, jumping off the couch.

They passed by Haru's room unnoticed. Inside, Haru was concentrating hard...on the latest release of his favourite manga, Sabertooth 2.0. His homework could wait for just a few minutes. He'd been dying to get to this all day...and if Natsu and Lucy found it, they would definitely take it away. Haru was writing a make-up test on Monday. He was not in their best books. However, what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

He nodded to Aimi, who peeked inside his door to see what he was doing. Satisfied that he was working hard, she glanced to make sure Aki was still busy with her book, then beelined into Aki's room, closing the door behind her. She had a little reading of her _own_ to do...namely Aki's diary! Aki had a mad crush on Lark's best friend and Aimi was dying to know the latest.

Hansuke sighed as the last of his siblings disappeared. It was true he didn't get in trouble often, but that was because the rest of them did such a good job making their own trouble, that Hansuke's mess ups were often overlooked.

He glanced down at the broken picture frame in his mind, slipped the Krazy Glue from the kitchen cupboard dubbed 'No Kid Zone', then retreated to his room to see what he could do about fixing it.

* * *

Natsu poured champagne into Lucy's flask, both basking in the afterglow.

"That was fun," Lucy grinned, "I always treasure these small moments with you."

"Me too," Natsu kissed her lips gently, "I'm glad we're doing this. Work is so busy lately, we can't seem to get our schedules to connect."

Lucy kissed him again, stroking her fingers through his hair, "I love you so much, Natsu."

"I love you too, Luce," he sipped his champagne, "This is nice. Where did you get it?"

"Just something I picked up at the liquor store when I went shopping," she said as she tasted her flask as well, "I figured we might as well do our 45 minute date right."

"Good call," he murmured, kissing her neck tenderly, "Do you think we have time for a round 2?"

She giggled, putting her flute aside to wrap her arms around his neck.

"We have always liked living on the edge."

* * *

Aki finished her chapter, then glanced up. It was quiet...too quiet.

She noticed Lark in the kitchen, making sandwiches for Brielle, despite the fact that she'd just told Brielle no. Lark was such a sucker when it came to their youngest sister.

Speaking of sisters...where was Aimi? Aki hadn't seen her in awhile.

"You're spoiling her," Aki said pointedly as she walked past the kitchen.

Lark shrugged, "She's cute. I'm weak against cute females."

"Pervert," Aki sneered, but that was as far as it was going to go for now. She needed to make sure her younger sister wasn't getting into trouble.

Aimi wasn't in her room, raising Aki's suspicions even further. She opened the bathroom door, making Connor and Mieske jump as they hid something behind their backs.

"What are you guys doing?" she demanded.

"We're dirty!" Mieske cried out.

"We need a bath!" Connor agreed.

Aki narrowed her eyes, quite sure that wasn't the truth, but she needed to make sure Aimi wasn't snooping again...or borrowing her clothes or whatever else she usually did to invade Aki's privacy.

"If you make Mom and Dad mad at me because you're doing something stupid on my watch, there will be hell to pay," she warned them.

Connor and Mieske nodded solemnly.

Aki shut the door again, noting Hansuke's door was closed too. That was unusual, but he was the least likely to get into trouble. She peeked into Haru's room, noting that his head was buried into his text book.

Good enough for her.

Aimi wasn't anywhere, and that concerned Aki greatly because that meant she could only be in the one place Aki _hadn't_ looked yet.

She stomped her feet angrily as she tore down the hall to her own room.

* * *

"We should get Levy to watch the kids for a whole night," Lucy suggested as they lay naked in each others' arms, "We could get a hotel...just the two of us."

Natsu snorted, "Do you think Levy could handle our rugrats for a whole night?"

Lucy shrugged, "She's pretty good with them. Kids tend to act a little more respectful around adults who aren't their parents."

Natsu beamed, "I like it. Gajeel could help too. The kids are terrified of him."

"And Sora would keep Aki and Aimi out of each other's hair," Lucy added, "Let's do it, Natsu...Let's have a night away. We need this."

Natsu nodded, kissing his wife passionately, "Okay. We can talk to Levy and Gajeel tomorrow."

Lucy sighed, glancing at the alarm clock beside the bed, "I think our 45 minutes are up."

Natsu groaned, "Already?"

"Already," Lucy affirmed, "We really should get dressed. It's time to go put out the fires of leaving our kids unattended."

Natsu growled his discontent, "Fiiiiine. But really, Luce...this was great."

"I agree," Lucy nipped at his neck, reveling in their last embrace before the two would have to leave their sanctuary to go bust up the Dragneel kids' rebellion, "We need to talk to Gajeel and Levy sooner than later."

Natsu nodded, "Tomorrow."

"Ready?" she asked.

They both sighed, then rolled out of bed to get dressed.

* * *

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Mieske yelled.

Both boys dove behind the toilet as the lit firecracker traveled around the bathtub.

"Any second now!" Connor declared, excitement in his eyes. Sure enough the firecracker began popping as it jumped up and down in the bathtub, thrilling both boys.

The door flung open, Lucy and Natsu bursting in.

Natsu slammed a pot lid on top of the firecracker while Lucy grabbed both boys by their collars.

"Living room...now!" she growled.

Both boys scrambled from their positions as Natsu and Lucy pounded fists, then separated as they left the bathroom.

Lucy went to the next room where Haru was 'studying', reached between the hands that tried to cover his actual activity and confiscated the comic book. He didn't need to be told to retreat to living room. Her eyes said it all.

Natsu entered Hansuke's room, but he was a little too late. Hansuke's face flushed as he lifted his hand, now Krazy-glued to the picture frame. Natsu pointed out the door and Hansuke wasted no time, heading for the living room.

Natsu and Lucy rendezvoused at the kitchen, Lucy abruptly taking Brielle's sandwich from her, Natsu grabbing Lark's cell, which was on speaker phone since Lark now had Brielle talking to whoever was on the other end. Teenage girls loved teenage boys that were good with children.

"He won't call you back. Have a good night," Natsu said before hanging up the phone.

He put the cell in his pocket, indicating to Lark that he wasn't going to be talking to any girl on the phone for at least a week.

The yelling down the hall erupted, followed by large crashes. Natsu and Lucy exchanged glances, then tore down the hallway, flinging Aki's door open. Aki had Aimi by the hair, desperately trying to grab the diary that Aimi held away from her. Aimi kicked with her feet, repeatedly hitting her sister in the face. Both girls were shrieking.

Lucy grabbed the diary, putting it in her jeans pocket while Natsu pried the girls away from each other, scolding them both.

"LIVING ROOM! NOW!" he thundered.

The girls scrambled out of the room.

"They're all grounded for a week," Lucy seethed.

"No electronics, no friends, and no outings," Natsu agreed.

They exchanged glances, then gravitated together for a hug.

"I love them so much," Lucy sighed.

"Me too," Natsu agreed, "But at least we got a little time alone...sanctum in the squalor."

"Yup...house is totalled," Lucy stated, "First order of business will be getting everything cleaned up."

"Hey, Luce?" Natsu asked thoughtfully, resting his chin on her forehead.

"Hmm?"

"It's been 7 years since we've had a baby," he murmured, kissing her forehead, then both eyelids, then her lips, "Do you think it's time for another one?"

Lucy pushed him away playfully, turning on her heel to go deal with their brood, "Not in this lifetime, Natsu. No chance in hell."

* * *

 _ **A/N: I figured I ought to include an Angel of Oops 2 Nalu story. Last year's one shot, The Wild, was extremely fun to write and it's pretty interesting to look into the Dragneel household. What'd you think?**_

 _ **Stay tuned for the next one-shot, Bedtime/Waking. It's going to be a fun read!**_

 _ **Thanks as always to my dear friend, Wordsaremyspells1331, for taking a quick read.**_

 _ **~Shana~**_


	4. From Bedtime to your Waking Hour

' _Right on time,'_ Natsu mused to himself as the door lock jiggled, then opened. Lucy emerged from the door, stretching as she put her bag down on the floor. She was moving slowly, a testament to the fact that she had indeed gone to work out with Fairy Tail's resident equip mage.

She crossed the kitchen, opened the fridge door to get herself a bottled water, then chugged the entire thing in one go.

' _Ahhhh!'_ Natsu mouthed.

"Ahhhh!" Lucy sighed her satisfaction out loud, "Nothing in the world like ice cold water. THANK YOU, Gray - for making the fridge extra cold!"

Natsu scowled. What was the Ice Freak doing in Lucy's apartment...making her fridge colder? An unfamiliar tremor swept through his body...he had never wanted to fight the Ice Princess more.

She placed the bottle in her recycling bin, then moved to the living room. Natsu's heart started pounding with anticipation. Lucy was going to start her cool down routine soon, especially important since Erza didn't consider it necessary...plus, it was his second favourite part of Lucy's bedtime routine.

' _15.4 minutes to cool down,'_ Natsu thought to himself.

From the space between the bi-fold doors, Natsu had a clear view of Lucy once she moved to her living room. She wore a purple zippered halter top, her breasts swelling just overtop of it, and black yoga pants. She sat on the floor and stretched her arms out to the tip of her toes, holding the pose for several seconds before repeating it on the other side, then sat up to stretch her arms out behind her back.

Natsu loved how flexible she was as he watched her move on to crunches and side stretches. He wondered if she knew how beautiful she was...the sweat glistening on her skin.

Natsu knew he shouldn't be there. Sometimes he simply 'asked' to spend the night, but then he'd end up on her lumpy couch instead of her soft bed. There was something about sleeping with Lucy that calmed him. The enemies he'd fought that day...injustices of the world...it all melted away when she was in his arms. Even the hammock at his cottage couldn't lull him to sleep the way she did. Lucy was his melatonin.

And so began the nightly routine of climbing into bed with Lucy, just after she fell asleep. Natsu was rather proud of himself...he had the routine down to a science.

The time passed quickly, the end of her cool-down routine marked with a full body stretch toward the ceiling. Natsu always appreciated that pose. Something about the way her body curved in all the right places made him...he didn't even know what the right word was. He just _liked_ it.

' _And now it's writing time - 10.4 minutes.'_

Lucy crossed the room to her desk, turning on the little lamp above as she sat down. She pulled her diary from her 'secret' drawer and began to write.

This was by far the most boring part of the night. Natsu appreciated the things that Lucy wrote, but _watching_ her write was far from exciting.

He tried to entertain himself by taking stock of his surroundings. Periodically, Lucy changed things around. It was a good idea to avoid surprises. As if on cue, Natsu lost his balance as he tried to change position, almost knocking over the mop bucket. It made a slight clatter. Natsu froze, waiting to see if Lucy was going to throw open the closet door and bust him.

She hummed to herself, pen against her lips, then continued to write.

Natsu breathed a sigh of relief, then resumed entertaining himself. Glancing down to the bottom of the closet, he realized that she had gotten a new mop to go with the mop bucket.

 _Well...that's nice._

He felt a small twinge of guilt, remembering what happened to her old mop. That was Happy's fault. Never anger a fire wizard by stealing food off his plate then try to defend yourself with a wooden mop. What did Happy _think_ was going to happen?

That did not stop Lucy from yelling at Natsu. He rubbed his ass where the bruise was still tender.

No matter. She had a new mop now.

Also in the closet, she had an umbrella. He hadn't seen it before. It was multi-coloured and there was a tag still on it. He strained his eyes, releasing a low growl as he read the tag.

' _For my Princess, lest you get caught in the rain again and I'm not around to keep you dry - Loke'._

Seriously? Damned Celestial playboy. Lucy was perfectly fine in the rain. She didn't need an umbrella. He considered burning it to ash, but knew he would give away his position. He would have words with Loke the next time he saw him.

About 3 weeks ago, Loke and Gray had cornered Natsu and demanded to know if he was going to make a play for Lucy. They teased him mercilessly for about an hour, claiming that the dragon slayer was completely 'smitten', whatever that meant. Natsu had played it cool at the time, but he realized his feelings for the Celestial mage _were_ changing. Lucy brought out the best in him. It was like she could predict what he needed and he found himself striving to provide what she needed from him, whether it be kinds words, a hug, or just dinner together. Lucy completed him. Gray and Loke had made him realize just how much he cared about her.

Lucy closed her book, placing it back into its 'secret spot', snapping Natsu back to attention, then stood up. She pushed her chair underneath the desk and proceeded to the bedroom to gather her things for her bath.

' _3.2 minutes to the bedroom to grab her nightie and a towel for her bath. If she's done laundry today, 3.8 minutes because she always buries the towels in her basket.'_

Natsu waited. It was at the 3.5 minute mark that she exited the bedroom in nothing but a burgundy towel, her bedclothes in hand. Natsu let out a low whistle, instantly covering his mouth when he realized she could have hear that.

Fortunately, Lucy was obliviously on her way to the bathroom, humming to herself as she turned the water on.

' _Now she'll come back out singing - 2.2 minutes while the water fills the tub.'_

On cue, Lucy walked through the bathroom door again, singing at the top of her lungs, "I wanna be where the people are. I want to see - want to see 'em dancin'!"

' _Strolling along on those - what's the word again? Oh - feet,'_ Natsu mouthed.

Lucy's voice faded again as she strolled back into the bathroom, right on time. The next line of the song was quiet, but the following part crescendoed.

"Up where they walk - Up where they run- Up where they stay all day in the suuuuuuuuuuun! Wandering free... " Lucy's voice quietened again and Natsu knew she was about to close the bathroom door.

"Wish I could be...part of your world," he finished out loud just after the door shut.

He paused, lamenting that he was already a part of her world. Just not in all the aspects that he wanted to be.

' _No time for wishing!'_ he chastised himself, ' _Go! Go! Go! You have 18.24 minutes before her bath is over!'_

Natsu broke himself out of his stupor, opening the closet door cautiously. He crossed the room to her bedroom, slipping inside completely silently. His stealthness amazed even him...and yes - stealthness was a word...at least in Natsu's dictionary.

He pulled Lucy's diary from its hidden drawer - not hidden quite as well as Lucy thought it was, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her - then opened the book to tonight's entry.

' _Dear Diary:_

 _Nothing much to report today. I went to the guild and had coffee with Mira and Cana. Natsu and Happy weren't around. My days are always lonely when they're gone. I half expected to see them when I came home tonight. Too bad. I got Happy a mackerel._

 _Anyway, went to my favourite store today. I found the most AMAZING negligee! It's black, but completely see-through. I managed to pick up a few other pieces too, but the negligee was definitely my favourite. You know, whoever I marry is definitely in for a show. I think I have enough items to put Victoria's Secret to shame!_

 _Oh! And Gray told me I should wear blue more often today! He says it makes my eyes stand out._

 _Later!_

 _Lucy'_

Natsu's eyes narrowed, a low growl escaping. Stupid Popsicle. Tomorrow, he would make sure to tell her she looked good in ALL the colours...or compliment her boots or something...right after he kicked BOTH Loke and Gray's asses.

 _Negligee!_

Natsu's eyes widened as he remembered the centre part of the diary entry. He placed it back its 'secret' drawer, then beelined to the bedroom for the dresser.

 _13.2 minutes to enjoy the underwear. Better make it 12...you don't want to take any chances._

Natsu opened the underwear drawer, his fingers shaking in anticipation as he pulled out her newest undergarments, the black negligee neatly folded front and centre. Natsu wasn't completely sure what a negligee was, but as he picked it up, he lamented about how soft the item was. He unfolded it, holding it up. His heart began to pound. This was _definitely_ see-through...and it had attachments to hold up her stockings! She wasn't kidding...this was a find and a half! It was black and lacy...nothing would be left to the imagination. It parted under the bust. Natsu began to sweat, realizing that Lucy's navel would be exposed when...his whole body shuddered as he tried to imagine Lucy wearing it...with garter belts holding up lacy stockings

He pressed the garment to his nose, inhaling the vanilla-lilac smell that could only belong to Lucy. He didn't know how he got her underwear to smell so good, but the scent was heavenly.

Placing the garment aside, he picked up the other pieces she's bought that day.

Soft pink...what in the hell was this thing? It looked more like string to Natsu than an undergarment. Either way, when he put it up against his hair and looked in the mirror, it was uncanny how close the colours were. He picked up the matching bra, tying it around the top of his head. Yup...exact same colour.

Natsu took a moment to play with the bra on his head. The cups were soft and spongy. If he arranged his hair the right way, it covered the entire thing, giving him a futuristic appearance - what a cool hairdo! He laughed to himself, taking a picture to show Happy later. He would have to remember that the next time Halloween came around. He could be like the alien dudes in that movie with the gigantic swollen heads. It would be hilarious!

He was getting short on time. He pocketed the string thing. Maybe Happy would want to play with it later, then moved on to the next bikini panties with a matching bra. They were red and silky. He pressed the fabric to his face. So soft. Something about silk - especially red silk - was unbelievably…

Once again, he found himself falling short of the right word to describe his feeling.

 _Whatever._

The silky things were always his favourite, next to the see-through items. Thankfully, Lucy had a vast array of silky things in every colour. It was a little strange that she rarely _wore_ any of these items. At least not that he'd seen.

 _Mavis...he really wanted to see that._

It was then that he heard with absolute horror that the water was draining from the bathtub.

 _CRAP!_

He'd gotten so lost in thoughts that he forgot to pay attention to the time! Normally, he would have 4.2 minutes while Lucy drained the tub and got dressed in her nightgown, but he had no idea how long the tub had been draining.

He placed the lingerie items back in the drawer, panicking when he couldn't refold the black negligee the way he'd found it. He finally took her hairbrush, using it as a stabilizer, then folded the lacy garment around it. Good enough.

He raced to the bed, rolling underneath, then stilled, realizing he still had the pink bra on his head when it flopped over his eyes.

 _DOUBLE CRAP!_

He tried to unhook it, cursing when his fingers weren't nimble enough from that angle. Rolling back out from the bed, he pried the thing off in one swift swipe. It needed to get back in the drawer _now!_

He started across the room, but whacked the edge of the metal bed frame with the first step. His toes separated, going on either side of the metal post. Natsu's entire face turned purple as the pain set in, silently jumping up and down as he bounced toward the underwear drawer. He had faced the cruelest, strongest foes in Fiore...but _that freakin' hurt!_

Still, he forced himself onward to his destination, placing the pink bra back where he found it in the dresser, then bounded back to the bed as best as he could with his stubbed toe.

He had only barely rolled back underneath the bed when the door opened, Lucy sighing contently as she emerged from the steam.

Natsu's pounding heart fluttered. This was his favourite part...the whole reason he went through this routine night after night. Now Lucy would crawl into bed. In 7.8 minutes, she would roll over...another 8.1 minutes after that, she would sigh and be fast asleep. _Then_ he could safely crawl into bed with her and cuddle until morning. Yes, he was aware he would get a swift Lucy Kick to the groin...but it was worth it. Lucy was an amazing cuddler when she slept. She liked holding onto his chest with both arms and nestling her head into his shoulder.

' _Now she'll stretch and yawn...nightgown tonight...should be a good view,'_ he thought to himself. He maneuvered himself to the edge of the bed, catching a quick glimpse of her purple panties as Lucy stretched, then yawned. Maybe he would tell her to wear purple more often. He could say that it made her hair blonder or something.

' _And now she'll crawl into bed.'_

He felt Lucy's weight move upon the bed, settling in the middle, then began to count the 7.8 minutes until she rolled over. Right on time, he felt the mattress move, indicating she'd gotten into her favourite sleeping position and not long afterward, he heard her soft breaths.

Lucy was asleep, but he waited the entire 8.1 minutes to be sure. He wanted the Lucy Kick in the morning _after_ he got his cuddles.

 _Eat that, Loke_ _and Gray...she doesn't cuddle either of you._

When he finally climbed into bed, Lucy immediately rolled over, just as he knew she would. It was like she anticipated it, rolling straight into his arms.

He kissed her forehead gently, feeling the lull of sleep claim him as he wrapped his arms around her.

Here he would remain, completely contented, for the entire night.

As for the Lucy Kick he was sure to receive in the morning when she woke, he was getting smarter these days. Nothing a little extra padding around the package couldn't fix…it would still hurt, but until he got up the courage to tell her how he really felt, he had to settle for his nightly routine and endure the pain that came with it.

It was worth it.

Every damned time.


	5. Virtuously Wicked

**VIRTUOUSLY WICKED**

 **NALU WEEK PROMPTS #4 (Virtuous/Wicked)**

* * *

 _ **A/N: Last time, we saw Natsu being a bit of a creeper...this is the second part to the last**_ _ **chapter**_ _ **, Bedtime/Waking. I think you'll enjoy. Please leave a comment at the end...because that's how I know I'm doing something right! Enjoy!**_

* * *

Lucy dragged her feet for most of the way down the street, but straightened up and forced herself to tiptoe as she got closer to her apartment. She checked the time, noting she was a couple minutes early. That was okay. She needed a minute or two to catch her breath before going inside.

She relaxed on the stairs for a minute or two, just enjoying allowing herself to come to a full stop. Erza's workouts were brutal. She was, however, starting to note the benefits. During the last mission Team Natsu had taken, she was proud to say she had been _quite_ agile more than once.

People in the guild tended to think of Lucy as virtuous and innocent, which, for the most part, was true. However, Lucy had developed a...wicked...new hobby in recent weeks...one that she thoroughly enjoyed and yet hadn't quite wrapped her head around because it was so out of character for her.

Lucy secretly enjoyed torturing Natsu.

For months, Natsu had found reasons to spend the night at her apartment. Sometimes he out and out invited himself, slipping into her bed until she kicked him out each night, but more recently, Natsu had started sneaking into her apartment, watching her nighttime routine from a hiding spot, then slipping into bed with her once she fell asleep.

At first, the knowledge that he'd been doing this for weeks horrified her...but then, the wicked side of her that rarely got to outshine the virtuous side, took over as she considered the huge potential opportunities to mess with Natsu. The longer the secret game went on, the more daring they both got. It was only a matter of time before things exploded, but she hoped when they did, it might result in something even more pleasing.

She checked the time again, grinning to herself as she realized she could go in. Natsu would have taken his place by now.

She clomped heavily as she made her way up the stairs, sighing dramatically as she put the key in the lock, jiggling it extra long to ensure that he would hear it.

 _Of course he would hear it...he's a dragon slayer._

Opening the door, she put her bag down, then stretched, ensuring to extend her arms and legs as far as she could reach. She had learned through observing her carefully placed lacrimas that Natsu really liked it when she stretched.

Stretch out of the way, she crossed the room to the fridge to get a bottle of water, chugging the water in one go.

"Ahhhh!" Lucy sighed her satisfaction out loud, "Nothing in the world like ice cold water. THANK YOU, Gray - for making the fridge extra cold!"

 _Ha ha! That oughtta get a rise out of him!_

Lucy had also learned in her research that Natsu was incredibly protective over her. He saw Gray and and Loke as his biggest threats...probably with good reason. She had a very close friendship with Gray and he had even confessed to her one night, but Lucy's eyes were on Natsu and had been for a long time. Gray had been disappointed, but understood and promised to support her. As far as Loke went, he looked after her and loved her because he was her spirit, but as outright flirtatious as Loke could be, he loved Aries. Besides, Lucy would never cross that line with one of her spirits.

She remembered when she had suspicions that Natsu was sneaking in at night. She had acquired the help of Freed to set up lacrimas in areas of her house so she could see what was going on. At first, she'd been furious, but the more she watched the footage night after night, the more she realized, she valued sleeping with him at night as much as he did. After assuring Freed that she would handle it, Lucy started to 'play the game'. And Natsu would lose, make no mistake about it. Lucy had every intention of busting him just as soon as she'd had her fun.

She could _feel_ Natsu's heat from the closet. Smirking to herself with satisfaction that her comment about Gray had irked him, she placed her water bottle in the recycling bin, then proceeded to the living room to start her cool down routine.

She checked her position to ensure she was in full view of the cupboard, lowering the zipper on her work-out bra before beginning her stretches. Any other person peeping on her would be kicked into next week, but the more she practiced stretching for his eyes alone, the more she loved the thought of him watching.

The stretching did help after Erza's workouts. She wasn't lying that it needed to be done, but as she stretched her fingertips to her toes, slanting her body to give Natsu a good view of her cleavage, Lucy knew she was definitely trying to give him a show. She just hoped he appreciated it.

She ended her cool-down period with a stretch, making sure to give him a view of all her curves, then moved to the desk to write in her diary.

 _Now what would piss Natsu off the most?_

She heard clamoring in the closet. No doubt, Natsu had nearly tripped over the mop bucket she'd placed there. Soon he'd discover the umbrella and the new mop. She had actually bought the umbrella herself, but asked Loke to write the note. Loke wasn't sure he approved of Lucy's plan to mess with Natsu, but obliged anyway, assuring her he'd be watching.

She hummed to herself, pen against her lips, then continued to write.

Satisfied that she'd written an entry that would aggravate Natsu, she shut her diary and placed it back in her 'secret place'. She groaned to herself, lamenting that Natsu had read all her previous entries...the ones she _hadn't_ intended for him to read. She would get him back for that. One way or another, he was going to pay.

It was time to turn on the water for her bath. She pushed the chair into the desk, then disappeared into the bathroom, emerging moments later to go to her bedroom. Truth be told, she had already laid out the nightgown she would wear tonight for bed...and the towel that she would take to the bathroom, but she wanted Natsu to sweat a little bit. According to the videos, Natsu assumed he had her routine down to a pat, so she'd worked on her timing to ensure he was always anticipating what she'd do next.

She went to the underwear drawer, ensuring everything was in place and ready for him. Her cheeks turned red, remembering how embarrassing it had been to buy the items.

She undressed, placing her work out clothes in the laundry hamper, then wrapped herself in the burgundy towel. She checked the mirror, ensuring the towel covered her ass, though barely. Satisfied, she sashayed her way to the bathroom, singing the same song she sang every night before her bath. She knew Natsu wouldn't know it. He was hardly into Disney...but she _did_ wish he was part of her world, whether she admitted it or not. Or at least in ways different than he was now.

As she bathed, Natsu would read her diary, then go through her underwear drawer. She smirked. He was in for a surprise tonight. No matter how embarrassing it had been to buy the negligee, it was _going_ to make him sweat. She just wished Levy and Cana hadn't busted her in the sex store.

* * *

 _4 hours earlier..._

* * *

 _Lucy entered the sex store in dark sunglasses and trench coat. She had never been there before, preferring to buy most of her sexy underwear online. However, time was short and she wanted to impress Natsu that night._

 _She slinked around the corner, covering her eyes as she passed the various dildos and strap-ons on the wall when she ran smack into another person...also clad in a trench coat and sunglasses._

" _Levy?" Lucy had cried out in surprise._

 _Levy's cheeks flushed instantly, "Lu-Chan! Mavis! What in the hell are you doing here?"_

" _What am_ _I_ _doing here?" Lucy cried out, "What are_ _you_ _doing here?"_

 _Levy glanced both way to make sure no one was paying attention to them, then ushered Lucy into the private XXX video section._

" _You have to promise not to tell!" she begged._

" _I promise! I promise!" Lucy exclaimed, sure she was about to get some very juicy gossip._

 _Levy flushed, staring down at her feet, "Gajeel and I have started sleeping together. We have a date tonight and I wanted something...special for him."_

 _Lucy grabbed both Levy's hands, jumping up and down with her, "Levy, that's amazing! You've been wanting this for so long! Does this mean that you're finally together?"_

 _Levy nodded. Lucy noted a new glow to her skin._

" _I love him, Lu-Lu. And he loves me," Levy admitted, "But we're not ready to tell the guild yet, so you can't tell anyone."_

 _Lucy crossed her heart, "I won't. I'm just so happy for you!"_

 _The two girls hugged tightly._

" _I'm happy too!" Levy declared. Her expression softened, as she held Lucy at arm's length, "So….what are you doing here?"_

 _Lucy's entire face turned purple, "I have a secret too...but you can't tell anyone."_

 _Levy nodded, crossing her heart._

" _I think Natsu likes me," Lucy admitted._

 _She gave Levy a run-down of the events of the past few weeks, ending with her admission of how she planned to mess with Natsu. By the time she finished, Levy's eyes were wide._

" _You MINX!" Levy whispered, her eyes alight, "Who would have thought that_ _you_ _would be capable of seducing a man?"_

" _I'm not seducing!" Lucy protested, "I'm going to bust him!"_

 _Levy snorted, "You've liked him forever, Lu. Natsu is not easy to understand, but it seems that he is starting to comprehend just how much you mean to him. What he's doing is sort of...creepy...but I think it's his way of getting ready to do something about it. Now is your chance to make something happen."_

 _Lucy's mouth dropped open, contemplating her friend's words. Maybe she was right._

" _I have to go," Levy stated, accidentally dropping her purchases on the floor. She jumped, reclaiming her items as quickly as possible, but not before exposing her purchases of flavoured condoms and a cock ring. She flushed again, "You weren't supposed to see that."_

 _Lucy giggled and the two girls opened the door, glancing both ways before darting out into the store. Levy went straight for the counter to pay for her things while Lucy began to look over the lingerie section. Levy gave her a little wave as she disappeared out the door._

 _Lucy let out a deep sigh, turning for the lingerie department, which unfortunately, was right next to the sexual drinking games section...which unfortunately, was where she ran into Cana...literally._

 _Lucy fell to the ground, looking up at the stunned card mage. Her mouth was dropped open and she was about to apologize until she realized who was on the ground...then she started to laugh...and laugh...and laugh._

" _Oh this is rich!" she cried, holding her sides, "Of all the people to run into in this store, I never thought it would be_ _you!_ _Fairy Tail's most virtuous princess!"_

 _Lucy groaned as she got off the floor, "Laugh it up all you want...just please don't tell anyone you saw me here, okay?"_

 _Cana couldn't stop laughing, "What - did you lose a bet or something?"_

 _Lucy wanted to die. Cana was probably drunk and that meant either no one would believe Innocent Lucy was actually in the store, or she'd be able to tell the story detail for detail. Cana had drunk 'stages'. What happened from here truly depended on how drunk she was._

" _No," Lucy said in a low voice, "I didn't lose a bet, okay? I'm looking for something."_

" _I recommend the 10" dual-spin rabbit," Cana stated, face completely straight._

 _Lucy wasn't sure how much more her face could flush as Cana picked the dildo off the shelf and tried to hand it to her. She wanted to die. Mavis...please strike her dead...right now…_

" _I need lingerie," she squeaked out, "For Natsu."_

 _Cana's eyes lit up, "I KNEW IT! I'm going to win the bet pool! Fucking awesome! That baby is up to 90,000 jewel!"_

 _Lucy's mouth dropped open, her body freezing, but seconds later, she found herself being yanked toward the lingerie racks as Cana started passing her various items._

" _You need a thong," Cana was saying, "And probably a matching bra. Men like that. Also, I think you should get this."_

 _Lucy gawked as Cana put fluffy leopard-print handcuffs on the top of the pile, then turned to the negligee section. Lucy tossed the cuffs back on a shelf...probably the wrong shelf. She really couldn't care less where they went as long as they were away from her._

" _Cana…" Lucy interjected._

" _You want see-through," Cana was telling her, "See-through that exposes a lot of skin. Men love that."_

" _Cana, please…" Lucy begged._

" _AGH!" Cana cried out, pulling a black, crotchless negligee. It had built-in garter belt straps and was completely see-through, parting under the bustline, "It's perfect! Natsu will wet his pants! Nothing left to the imagination with this baby!"_

 _Lucy wanted to die._

" _Also - this bra and panty set!" Cana announced, shoving something pink at her, "And here's red lace...and blue silk! And red...Natsu has a weakness to red! Have you got lube at your house? It's not a bad idea. Also, how's your condom stock?"_

" _CANA!" Lucy yelled, bringing the entire shop to a halt._

 _She put her hand to her eyes, wishing herself away to another time, another place. Cana stared at her, an amused grin playing on her lips as other patrons turned to stare at them._

" _Natsu and I are not going to have sex," Lucy said in a much lower voice, "I'm playing with him. He's been sneaking into my apartment at night so I'm trying to get him back."_

" _Ohhhh," Cana hummed. She paused, turning back to the other aisle, "In that case, you're going to need the dildo."_

 _Lucy face-palmed so hard, she nearly knocked herself out. In the end, she did end up with some of Cana's suggestions...but the embarrassment was real and she was out 90,000 jewel since she had to pay Cana the price of the winning pot to stay quiet._

* * *

Lucy sighed, still flustered over what happened. She pulled the drain to the bathtub and proceeded to dry herself with her towel. Natsu should be done reading her diary and was probably in her underwear drawer. He would hear the drain, then make sure he was under her bed by the time she went back to her bedroom. That should have been enough time for him to do what he needed to.

She slid the white nightie over her head, satisfied that it rested just below her buttcheek line and would expose her purple satin panties. One last show for Natsu before bed.

She exited the bathroom, turning toward her bedroom and just barely caught a glimpse of the pink-headed moron sliding under her bed, cursing to himself noisily. Did he really think she wouldn't catch on to his nightly routine? Ludicrous.

Lucy stretched for good measure, then let out her nightly yawn as she slid in between her fresh sheets.

This was her favourite part, whether she was on a mission to expose him or not. Natsu would wait 7.8 minutes for her to roll over, then an additional 8.1 minutes to ensure she was completely asleep, but then he would crawl into bed with her. As much he was invading her privacy, Lucy had to admit, she _loved_ sleeping with Natsu. There was something special - even though it was totally creepy - about the fact that he knew her so well, he could predict her every movement.

On cue, she rolled over, shutting her eyes tightly. She concentrated on staying completely still to convince him that she was truly asleep. Her heart was beating wildly and she prayed that he wouldn't detect it with his dragon senses.

She wondered what he'd thought about her underwear...especially the risque negligee. It was so out of character for her to buy something so saucy...would he think badly of her?

Despite herself, she could feel sleep claiming her. Natsu slid into bed behind her and she rolled over instinctively, settling into his arms. Her body heated when he kissed her forehead gently. Judging by the object sticking into her thigh, Lucy's underwear had had _exactly_ the effect she was looking for. For now, his strong arms wrapped around her obliterated any thoughts of revenge. She was safe in these arms. These arms protected her...maybe even loved her.

Tomorrow, she would have to Lucy Kick his ass out of her room again...but she looked forward to busting him one day soon. Maybe then, their bedtime/waking routine would absolve the fact that she wasn't as virtuous as everyone thought she was.

In fact, Lucy could be downright wicked.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thanks again to Wordsaremyspells1331 for reading through.**_ **Damn, _these things are fun to write!_**

 ** _Next up: Prompt words Blessing/Omen._**


	6. Ominous Blessing

Lucy walked through the grassy field, her sun hat in her hand. She loved the feeling of the wind in her hair. She carried her shoes in her other hand. The grass felt good in between her toes.

She wore a simple blue sundress, but she had never felt more beautiful. It was like the sun shone only for her, beaming down on her and forcing her to be in a more cheerful mood. The beach beyond the grass was deserted, the waves lapping at the end of the shore.

"Lucy…" someone behind her said.

Lucy didn't need to turn around to know who was there with her. She longed for this voice every day since she was 6 years old. She didn't turn, worried if she did, her mother wouldn't actually be there.

"Mama?" she asked.

Layla wrapped an arm around her daughter's waist, turning her so that they could embrace, "I'm here, baby."

Sniffing, Lucy tried to control her tears as she buried her face in her mother's shoulder, "I've missed you, Mama."

"I've missed you too," Layla assured her, "My girl...so strong and beautiful. I'm very proud of you."

They held their embrace for several minutes, no words necessary for the time being. Lucy knew why her mother was there. She had come because she'd heard the news.

Layla pulled back slightly, lifting Lucy's face to take a good look at her, "No tears. That's my girl. You've grown very strong in the way that you deal with things."

"Would you be disappointed in me if I cried?" Lucy asked, leaning her head into her mother's hand.

"No, baby," Layla whispered, "I would cry with you."

"I'm much more scared when I'm awake," Lucy admitted, "Natsu has been a rock. He told me whatever happens, we'll get through it together...but you being here...it's an omen, isn't it?"

Layla stroke her daughter's hair, staying quiet for a long moment as she contemplated her answer.

"Yes, baby," she said finally, "It is an omen. Something is about to change your life forever. Whatever happens, you need to show the resolve you're showing me now. Be strong."

"Okay," Lucy whispered. She sensed her mother was going to fade away, so she pulled her into one last hug, holding on as tightly as she could, "I love you, Mama…"

"I love you too, baby," Layla whispered.

And then she was gone.

Lucy fell to her knees, willing herself not to cry. She could be strong...she _needed_ to be strong…

...For Natsu.

* * *

"Hey," Natsu said gently as he shook Lucy awake, "Luce...you're having a bad dream. Wake up. You're okay."

Lucy's eyes fluttered open, wondering why Natsu would assume what had just happened was a bad dream.

It was then that she realized she had flooded her pillow with tears. No wonder Natsu thought that.

Natsu wrapped her in his arms, holding her as close to his body as possible, "I love you, Luce. No matter what happens today...we're in this together, okay?"

Lucy nodded, barely able to move her head with Natsu hugging her so tightly. He was scared too. He would never admit to Lucy, but he had been abnormally attentive in the past few days. He was terrified.

"Come with me," he beckoned, reaching out his hand.

Lucy obliged, following him to the shower. He turned the water on luke-warm, then undressed her slowly, laying soft kisses over every part of her body. He shed his boxer shorts last. As they stepped into the shower together, Lucy's tears began to drop with the water. She hoped he wouldn't notice, but he tilted her face up, kissing her tears away. She noticed his eyes were watery too as he reached for the soap and lathered the loofa.

He kissed his way down her neck, taking his time. This was very out of character for Natsu. Normally their lovemaking was enthusiastic and passionate. She wasn't sure what she thought of it. Natsu was always so self-assured...so confident. It broke her heart that she was causing him this amount of pain.

The loofa made small circles around her chest, then when he was sure it was clean, he moved to her stomach.

"Natsu," she whispered, "I want you to promise me you'll find someone new."

He let out a low growl, "Don't talk like that, Luce. It's not a confirmed diagnosis yet. We don't have to talk -"

"We _do_ have to talk about it!" she interrupted, stilling his hands, "We have to prepare ourselves for reality. _I am sick_ , Natsu. I might have cancer. And I might die."

He rose to his feet, averting his gaze to outside the shower doors, "It's not an option, Luce. I won't let you."

"If it's meant to be," Lucy pointed out, "We can't stop it. All we can do is say goodbye."

"I won't!" Natsu insisted stubbornly, throwing the loofa to the shower floor, "Damnit, Luce, _quit talking like that!"_

"Natsu…" she whispered. Tears started streaming down her face again. She couldn't form words anymore, her grief taking over.

Natsu grabbed her, pulling her into a tight hug. She realized, as his body shook, that Natsu was crying...all out crying. His body heaved as he forced himself to take a breath.

Lucy shook her head at the injustice of it all. They had only just figured out what everyone had been telling them for years...that they belonged together. She loved him with all her heart...and he loved her. It wasn't fair. They were supposed to have a dozen children and grow old together... _it just wasn't fair._

"I want to marry you," Natsu told her, his tears beginning to subside. He tightened his grip on her hips.

"We don't know how long I have," Lucy murmured into his shoulder, "There might not be time."

" _NOW!"_ Natsu insisted, "I don't want to wait. Let's get dressed and go to the guild hall."

"We don't have time for that!" Lucy insisted, "My doctor's appointment is at 1:00. It's already 10:00. It takes time to arrange even a justice of the peace!"

"I already did it," Natsu mumbled into her hair.

Lucy froze, stunned, "You already...what?"

"I don't want to think about what might happen," he mumbled, "All I know is that I love you...and I want to marry you either way. I arranged everything yesterday. So marry me...okay?"

He pulled back, searching Lucy's eyes...begging for an affirmative answer.

"I don't have a dress," Lucy stated in awe.

"Erza and Levy helped me pick one," Natsu replied.

"What about witnesses?" Lucy cried out as Natsu pulled her from the shower.

He grabbed a towel, gently dabbing her body until it was dry, "Gray, Erza, Levy, Gajeel and Makarov are already at the guild hall waiting for us."

"You're serious!" Lucy exclaimed as he dried himself.

He paused, tears brimming his eyes again, "Yeah, Luce...I'm serious. We're going to beat this, but I promise to love you for the rest of both of our lives. I want to marry you. So...what do you say?"

Lucy felt wet droplets running down her cheeks again as he froze, holding his breath as he waited for an answer.

"Yes, Natsu," she whispered finally, "Let's get married."

He broke out into the signature grin that she loved so much, then yanked her out of the bathroom and back to their bedroom. To her surprise, Erza, Levy, and Juvia were already there. Natsu let go of her as the girls grabbed onto her, yanking her into the room.

"See you at the guildhall in an hour," he blew a kiss, then retreated to the living room.

* * *

Lucy sat in the chair she was pointed toward, completely baffled. The girls had dressed her in a beautiful white dress. It wasn't a wedding gown, but it _was_ beautiful. The lace sleeves belled at her elbows, the neckline low. The bodice was a princess cut, the length only coming to her knees, but Lucy loved it.

Nobody said a word, but Lucy caught each girl with tears in their eyes more than once as they pampered her. Levy did her nails while Juvia did her makeup and Erza attempted to do her hair. That was an epic flop, but nobody dared to tell Erza that. Instead, they called Cana in. It turned out that Cana was actually very good at doing hair. Who knew?

When she was ready, the girls whisked her outside. There was a horse-pulled chariot at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her.

"Where's Natsu?" Lucy asked, panicked.

"He has to get ready too," Levy reminded her, "He'll be at the hall, Lu-Lu. Trust him. He wants this very badly."

"No matter what happens..." Lucy whispered, her eyes threatening to water again.

"Don't you dare!" Juvia warned, "Your makeup is perfect right now!"

Lucy forced a smile, then got into the carriage, the girls piling in beside her. Once again, there was a long silence as the carriage traveled into town. Lucy knew by her friends' strained faces it was because they _couldn't_ say a word. This was supposed to be a happy moment and they didn't want to ruin it by breaking down.

* * *

Lucy could hear the soft music as they arrived. She recognized the music as Lyra's harp, her voice synchronizing beautifully. It occurred to Lucy that Natsu had lied to her...it wasn't just a few people that would witness this moment. It was the entire guild.

"All rise for the bride," Makarov's voice called out.

She heard shuffling. The guild doors opened, Gray, Gajeel, and Jellal joining their perspective partners outside the door. Lucy wasn't sure how she hadn't noticed it, but the girls had changed at some point too. They wore matching soft pink dresses, the same colour as her tattoo and Natsu's hair.

The music changed. Gray offered Juvia his arm, then disappeared through the doors to begin the march toward the 'altar'. Erza and Jellal went next.

Levy turned to Lucy as she linked as with Gajeel, squeezing her hand encouragingly, "I love you, Lu."

Despite Juvia's warning, Lucy couldn't stop a tear from rolling down her cheek. Gajeel started forcing Levy toward the door, pausing before going through it.

"I'm only gonna say this once, so listen up," he snapped, his eyes softening, "I love you too, Bunny Girl...you're family. Today you'll marry Natsu. Tomorrow, we face whatever comes together...got it?"

Lucy nodded slowly, touched at Gajeel's words.

He winked at her, then pulled Levy through the door.

The music changed after a few seconds and Lucy guessed that was her cue.

She closed her eyes and stepped through the door, a little afraid of what she'd see. She kept her eyes shut as she took the first tentative steps, then felt someone loop her arm with theirs.

She looked up to see Gildart's fond grin.

"I'm not your father," he said softly, "But I hope you'll let me give you away."

Lucy nodded, pausing to hug him.

"Open your eyes, Lucy," He whispered in her ear, "This is the happiest moment of your life...you're going to want to remember this."

Lucy pulled away, slowly opening her eyes. They were all there. The entire guild. Some hadn't bothered to dress up, but Lucy couldn't care less. Her eyes moved to the front where Natsu stood tall, dressed in a black tuxedo and a pink tie that matched the girls' dresses, his hands folded neatly in front of him. She had never seen him look so handsome...or serious. Gray, Gajeel and Jellal stood to one side, Juvia, Levy, and Erza on the other.

Suddenly, Lucy wasn't afraid anymore. She knew that in less than an hour, she could be facing the toughest news of her life, but her friends and family were right here, right now...supporting and loving her in the way only the Fairy Tail guild could. Even more important, the love of her life was waiting for her. He wanted to marry her, despite whatever news awaited them...and she wanted to marry him too. It didn't matter that she might only have months to live. She wanted to live the rest of her life with Natsu and the people that had become family.

"I'm ready now," she told Gildarts.

Gildarts grinned at her again, taking her arm. The music resumed.

Lucy took the time to look at each face on the way down the aisle. She had so many wonderful memories. Laxus bowed to her, Mira and Lisanna curtseying on either side of him. Elfman and Evergreen sat together, proud smiles on their faces. Max, Jet and Droy shared a Kleenex box...not because of Lucy's imminent fate, but because they were so happy to see good friends of theirs finally taking this major step. Macao, Wakaba, and Romeo nodded to her. Wendy blew her a kiss.

 _This was her family..._ and she loved them with all her heart.

Before she knew it, they had reached the altar. Makarov stepped out from behind the podium where he'd been the whole time...she just hadn't noticed him before since he was so short. He nodded to her as Gildarts kissed her forehead, then linked her hands to Natsu's.

"Dearly beloved," Makarov started, "We gathered here today to witness the joining of two of our guild members."

Lucy barely heard Makarov's words as he went on to speak about love. Her eyes were locked with Natsu's. The sadness of this morning's shower was gone and all she could see was the love in his eyes. She had a mournful moment of regretting the things they would never get to do together, but pushed the thoughts out of her head as she let herself get lost in him.

Natsu was her biggest supporter...her best friend. They had stuck together through thick and thin, no matter what life threw at them. Time and time again, they beat the odds.

They would beat the new odds too, she resolved. She was going to fight for her life with Natsu. No matter what happened, she would fight to the end.

"Lucy!" Makarov said sharply, "Did you hear what I said?"

Lucy blushed, "I'm sorry...could you repeat it?"

The guild laughed lightly, then quietened with Makarov's warning glare.

"I asked you if you'll take Natsu to be your lawfully wedded husband...to have and to hold..in sickness and in health...til death do you part."

Lucy wanted to shudder at the words, but her new resolve hastened. She stood tall, squeezing Natsu's fingers as she nodded, "I do."

"And do you, Natsu, take Lucy to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Makarov waved a hand over the paper he held, "Blah, blah, blah, blah...you know the spiel."

"I do," Natsu agreed.

Levy stepped forward, Gajeel on the other side, handing rings to their friends. Natsu and Lucy exchanged their rings, smiles on both their faces.

"Then by the power invested in me by these bastards that won't let me retire," Makarov said solemnly, "I hereby pronounce you Natsu and Lucy Dragneel."

Natsu smirked, then pulled Lucy into his arms, dipping her as he kissed her. The crowd cheered uproariously until they stood back up, hand in hand.

Lucy teared up again as she faced the crowd, every last one of them displaying the Fairy Tail sign with their left hands, bending on one knee.

"We're all with you every step of the way, Lucy," Makarov told her, "No matter what happens, we all love you."

"Let's go," Natsu said, "We have an appointment to attend...we shouldn't be late."

Lucy nodded, pausing for hugs on her way back out of the guild.

* * *

"Lucy Heartfilia!" a nurse called after checking her clipboard for the name.

Lucy stood up, Natsu behind her.

"Lucy Dragneel," she corrected, blushing slightly, "I got married this morning."

The nurse smiled politely, trying not show her disdain as dozens of other people stood up as well.

"Are...all these people with you?" the nurse asked hesitantly, "They can't all come in."

"No," Lucy shook her head, "They're my moral support. Only my husband is coming in with me."

The nurse nodded, waiting for the couple to follow her.

"We love you, Lucy!" Levy called out.

"No matter what happens, we're all here for you!" Jet yelled.

Lucy felt Natsu squeeze her hand as they began to walk, the echoing of her guildmates well-wishes shut out by the closing door.

"I had a dream last night," Lucy told Natsu as they walked down the hall, their grips on each other getting unconsciously tighter, "I saw my mother."

"What did she say?" Natsu asked.

Lucy took a deep breath, "The dream was an omen. She said my life is about to change forever."

Natsu stopped her, turning his body into hers, "It already did. We're married, Luce. That's enough life-changing news for one day, okay? Let's go in there thinking positive."

Lucy nodded, but couldn't respond. The lump in the back of her throat was too big.

The nurse cleared her throat, gesturing to the doctor's open door, then stepped aside to let the couple in. She shut the door behind them.

"Lucy…" Dr. Porlyusica stated monotonously, "You're here because you've recently been having some stomach problems with fainting and nauceousness. Ultrasound showed a mass in your belly. Further testing has confirmed the diagnosis."

Lucy's face fell, a crushing wall of anxiety slamming into her. Beside her, Natsu squeezed her hand, but she felt his temperature rise.

"How long do I have?" Lucy asked, her voice quivering.

"I would say about 7 months," Porlyusica flipped her page, "Although, we could speculate as little as 6."

"Is there nothing we can do?" Natsu demanded, "I refuse to accept this! There must be _something!_ I don't care what it takes. We'll go to Crocus...or another country. SOMEBODY must know how to cure this! _"_

Porlyusica smirked, shocking both Natsu and Lucy. It was rare to see anything but a scowl on her face.

"Oh, there's a cure, alright," she sneered, "and it's gonna hurt like hell."

She snickered, noting the fear on both Natsu and Lucy's faces.

"I suppose I wasn't clear enough," she said flatly, the smirk disappearing, "Lucy, you don't have cancer."

Both Natsu and Lucy were stunned to silence, their mouths wide open.

"It's not cancer?" Lucy repeated after a long moment.

Porlyusica shook her head, "No. In fact, I'd say that you're very healthy, although you will need to stop taking missions for awhile."

Natsu shook his head, "I'm confused. What are you trying to tell us? If it's not cancer, what is it?"

"You're having a baby," Porlyusica said, a genuine smile curving on the outer edges of her lips, "Congratulations...you're going to be parents."

Lucy was frozen, her eyes wide as Natsu let out a whoop. He grabbed both her hands, kissing her hard on the lips.

"Did you hear that, Luce?"

Lucy couldn't hear anything. She was vaguely aware that Natsu was hugging her and she could feel the vibrations of his joyful yells. Her mother had said that the news would be life-changing...and it would be. Never in a million years had she considered that the omen was actually a blessing.

 _She wasn't going to die. She was going to have a baby...with Natsu...her husband..._

"We need to tell the guild!" Natsu cried out, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Yup - you do that," Porlyusica muttered, "You know the news - now get out of my office. Lucy, I expect you back here in 6 weeks for a check up."

Lucy barely heard the doctor before she felt Natsu guiding her down the hall, stopping just before the doors.

"Are you ready to tell the guild?" he asked, his giddiness finally forcing her shock to give way to excitement, "We're going to have a baby, Luce...how amazing is that?"

Lucy threw herself into his arms, "Natsu…"

"What is it, Luce?" he asked, calming instantly.

"I'm overwhelmed," she whispered, "Just...let's stay here for a minute, okay?"

"Yeah," he agreed, kissing her nose gently, "Whatever you need."

They exchanged soft kisses for several minutes until Lucy had finally calmed. He placed his hands on her stomach, grinning radiantly.

"I would have married you anyway," she said softly.

"Me too, Luce…"

"I love you, Natsu."

"I love you," Natsu replied, one hand on the door. She could tell he was itching to tell everyone their news. Natsu wasn't solemn anymore. His joy was contagious, "You ready now?"

Lucy nodded, a grin on her face.

"Good...because I can't wait to tell the Ice Freak," Natsu grinned.

He kissed her one more time, then flung open the door, one hand securely fastened to Lucy's. The room full of guildmates froze, everyone waiting for the news.

"Well?" Gray asked impatiently.

Natsu and Lucy exchanged glances, both bursting out into radiant grins, shouting out at the same time, "It's not cancer!"

The guild cheered with Natsu and Lucy, enveloping them in hugs.

"Wait!" Levy cried out loudly, "If it's not cancer, what is it?"

The crowd quietened, all looking at Natsu and Lucy expectantly. There could still be bad news, even if it wasn't cancer. Whatever it was, they needed to know. Afterall, they'd all made a pledge that whatever happened, they'd face it together.

"MY BOYS CAN SWIM!" Natsu cried out, raising a fist to the air, "EAT IT Gray and Gajeel! _In your face_!"

The guild remained confused, exchanging glances, Gray and Gajeel most of all.

"I don't get it," Droy murmured.

"NALU BABIES!" Mira eyes widened, jumping up and down as it dawned on her, "We're gonna have Nalu babies!"

"Nalu babies?" Gajeel repeated, glancing at Levy, "What the hell is that sposed to mean?"

Levy caught on, screaming as she ran to hug Lucy.

"Master?" Gray asked as Juvia, Erza and Evergreen all joined in the group hug with Natsu and Lucy, "Wanna help us out a little?"

Makarov face-palmed, "It means Mavis help us all, my boy…Mavis help us all."

* * *

 _ **A/N: NaLu Week is almost over! I can't believe it!**_

 _ **I took a bit of a different angle this chapter - hope you enjoyed it. See you tomorrow for Sensation/Numb (oh that oughtta be good)**_

 _ **~Shana~**_


	7. Numbingly Sensational

"Thank you, Laxus...I'll take care of him now," Lucy stated.

Laxus grunted, giving Natsu a warning glare as he stomped back to the guildhall, Gajeel meeting him at the front doors as he stalked away from the livid Gray on the other side of the clearing.

"I hate him," Natsu huffed as Lucy herded him to a picnic table on side of the guild property, "Stupid Ice Freak."

"You don't hate him," Lucy sighed, "He's your best friend. Things just went too far."

Natsu pulled away from her, gesturing to the right side of his body with his left hand. It was completely encased in ice from his shoulder down to his thigh, "Best friend? Like hell, Luce. Next time I see him, I'm going to -"

"You will not!" Lucy snapped, "We go through this everyday, Natsu. Tomorrow, you'll be tag-teaming against Gajeel like today never happened."

She glanced over to the picnic table on the other side of the property where Juvia was attending to Gray, likely having the same conversation. She could see Natsu's burn marks on Gray from here. Today's fight had definitely been a little worse than their average fights. There was no doubt about that. It had spiraled out of control within moments. One second, they were play-fighting...the next, Makarov had had to intervene with his giant fist. He sent them out opposite doors of the guild to 'chill out', Laxus and Gajeel elected as the bouncers. Natsu was literally chilling out. Gray would probably have to use his magic to control the burns that Natsu gave him. Currently, Juvia had a rain cloud over his head to soothe him.

Natsu smirked, interrupting her thoughts, "Yeah right. I don't care if I ever see Princess Popsicle again. Let's revert to the original Team Natsu...just you, me, and Happy."

"Let's worry about missions another day," Lucy suggested, "Right now, we need to thaw that ice. Can you use your magic to melt it?"

Natsu shook his head, his body shivering slightly as he concentrated. The ice began to drip, slowly.

"He used his Ice Devil Slayer magic. It's going to take awhile," Natsu seethed.

"Let's go to my apartment and see if we can speed up the process with my hair dryer," Lucy suggested.

Natsu caught Gray's eye across the clearing, the two of them shooting darts across the field. Juvia was pushing Gray toward his apartment, scolding him, but it wasn't audible to Lucy's ears. The way Natsu was snickering, she suspected his dragon slayer hearing _had_ heard what Juvia was saying. She could see the snarl on Gray's face, and for a minute, she thought she'd have to call Laxus and Gajeel back.

"Let's go!" Lucy ordered, steering Natsu toward town before they could get into it again.

Natsu growled, but obeyed.

Part of her wanted to laugh as she noticed the trail of water that followed him as he walked, but she ran to walk beside him instead. There was no sense in fueling the fire.

* * *

"You're trailing water everywhere!" Lucy complained, grabbing a towel to kick across the floor as she followed Natsu to the bathroom.

"What do you want me to do about that?" Natsu snapped, "It's not like I can turn off the dripping!"

Lucy sighed, "Just get in the shower."

Natsu glanced down at this clothes, "I can't undress, Luce...half my clothes are frozen solid."

"Then don't undress! Just get in the shower and melt the ice block!" She pushed past him, turning the water on to a warm, almost hot setting, "Okay - the water is a good temperature. Get in there."

Natsu stared at the shower doors. Normally, he had no problem getting in Lucy's shower. He especially loved it when she was in there too...but the ice block was huge. Catching Lucy's impatient glare, he tried anyways, first attempting to put the frozen arm between the glass doors. He realized the ice block was too large...this wasn't going to work, so he backed out and tried backing the rest of his body inside first, the ice block wedging between the glass doors. The odd droplet hit the ice, causing heavy steam.

"I'm in!" he announced triumphantly.

"You're in," Lucy sighed, "but the ice block isn't. This isn't going to work."

"I could've told you that," Natsu hummed.

"Well, get back out here," she murmured, "We'll try something else."

"Small problem," Natsu grunted, trying to push his arm back out of the shower, "The ice stuck in the door."

Lucy face-palmed, "Seriously?"

"I'm not kidding, Luce...it's really stuck!"

Lucy assessed the width of the ice block, agreeing that it was completely wedged inside the glass doors...and Natsu was stuck on the inside.

"Maybe I should break it apart with a hammer," Lucy suggested.

"My arm is still inside of it," Natsu protested.

"Well, you'd feel it when the ice breaks, wouldn't you? You'd get out of the way in time!"

"Nope!" Natsu denied, "My entire side is numb now, Luce...this thing has been clinging to me for an hour!"

Lucy put her fingers to her chin, her eyebrows furrowing, "Well then, what if I used my whip? I could grab the ice and pry it off."

"Once again - _arm is inside the ice_!" Natsu stressed.

Lucy hummed to herself, thinking of other options, "What if Scorpio sandblasted the ice?"

"Sure...if you want a bathroom full of sand," Natsu mused, "What about having Taurus run into the ice? He's strong and it would shatter. He wouldn't have to use his ax."

"The glass doors would shatter too!" Lucy half-yelled, "Under no circumstances do we damage this bathroom! My landlady will charge me double the rent!"

"But -" Natsu protested.

"It's not happening!" Lucy shouted.

They both huffed out their frustration at the same time.

"Maybe Regulus -" Natsu started to say. He stopped mid-sentence, noting Lucy's glare.

They both went quiet, pondering their dilemma.

"It will melt eventually," Lucy said after a long silence, "I'll bring you meals."

"Luce!" Natsu cried out, "That's not funny!"

"Well, we _could_ call Gray and ask him to reverse his spell!" Lucy ruminated.

"NO CHANCE IN HELL!"

Lucy's eyes lit up, "Then there is one option we forgot to consider!"

Natsu cringed, a little afraid of what would come out of her mouth next.

Lucy held a key in the air, "OPEN - GATE OF THE CANIS MINOR - PLUE!"

"Plue?" Natsu asked, dumbfounded.

The little dog appeared, his little tail wagging as he jumped into Lucy's arms.

"We're in a real bind here, Plue...do you think you could use your nose to peck the ice off Natsu?" Lucy asked him.

"Pun-pun!" Plue exclaimed, immediately jumping from her arms onto Natsu's ice block. He pecked furiously at the ice, small shards flying off in different directions.

Natsu heaved a gigantic sigh, "Luce...this is going to take forever."

"No, it won't!" Lucy declared, holding up her hair dryer, "Keep going, Plue! You're doing great!"

She plugged in the hair dryer, putting on max heat.

* * *

An hour and a half later, the last chunk of ice fell to the shower floor, shattering.

"Oh thank Mavis!" Natsu exclaimed, trying to flex his hand.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked when he frowned. She dismissed Plue, thanking him for his hard work.

"My entire arm is numb," he told her.

"Well, now you can take a shower," she suggested, "The heat will help with that."

Natsu nodded, starting to shed his clothes.

"WAIT UNTIL I'M OUT OF THE BATHROOM!" she thundered, grabbing Plue.

She slammed the door behind her.

Natsu chuckled, wondering why it always amused him so much when he teased her. He stripped off his sopping wet clothes and lowered the temperature of the water.

"Hey Luce!" he called once he was clean, "Small problem here! My clothes are all wet!"

Lucy didn't answer. He could just turn off the water and use the towel she'd left for him, but where was the fun in that?

"LUCY! LUCY HEARTFILIA! CELESTIAL MAGE! LUCE! BUNNY GIRL! BLONDIE!"

"What do you want?" she yelled, opening the door.

Apparently, she'd forgotten he'd be naked. She stared, her eyes drifting down to his 'appendage', her mouth agape before closing the door hurriedly. He heard her cuss, then open the ďoor part way so that they could talk.

Natsu smirked. Not _quite_ the reaction he'd anticipated, but close enough. Lucy's face was _red._

"My clothes are wet," he stated, "I don't have anything to wear."

"Crap," Lucy muttered, "Okay. Use the towel I gave you. I'll throw your clothes in the washer. They're too wet to put straight into the dryer."

"Okay!" he grinned happily, turning off the shower. He grabbed the towel, wrapping it around his lower half with his good arm. The other arm was still quite numb and he couldn't grip properly, so the towel was quite loose around his midsection, "You can look now, Luce."

Lucy kept her eyes covered with one hand as she entered the bathroom to pick up his sopping clothes. She put them in the laundry basket, keeping her eyes cast downward as she realized she'd have to use both hands. She exited the bathroom quickly, heading straight for the washer.

"Hey Luce! All that strenuous ice-melting has made me hungry."

"Imagine that!" she hummed, "I can make you a sandwich. Just go sit on the couch."

She watched him head for the living room, his towel dipping dangerously low.

"Um...try not to move too much."

Moments later, she handed him a plate with a ham and cheese sandwich on it.

"You're the best, Luce," he grinned. He tried the grip the sandwich, realizing his hand was still numb.

"Now what's wrong?"

"I can't…"

He tried again, accidentally knocking half the sandwich off onto the couch. His eyes widened.

"Sorry!"

Lucy sighed, picking up the defragged sandwich, "There was must be something you can eat that's one-handed. I'll go see if I have an apple."

"You could feed me the other half of the sandwich," he suggested, "It would be a shame to let it go to waste."

Lucy stared at him, shaking her head. Something was different about Natsu today. She wasn't sure what it was. Clingy? No, that wasn't the word. Needy? That wasn't it either.

"Okay," she decided, sitting down beside him. The only way to find out what his game was -was to join in, "I'll feed you, Natsu."

She picked up the unscathed half of the sandwich and lifted it to his mouth, her mouth instinctively making the 'ahhhh' motion.

Natsu took a bite, beaming at her, "It's really good, Luce."

"Well, I hope half is enough because I don't have any more ingredients."

He took another bite, "Half is fine. We'll go out for breakfast. By then, I should be fine."

Lucy raised an eyebrow, "You're still numb?"

He poked his own forearm with the unfrozen hand, "Can't feel nothin'. Ice Prick got me good."

"I'm sure the sensation will come back on its own," she assured him.

"May I have a glass of water please?" he asked.

Lucy nodded, watching him out of the corner of her eye as she filled the glass from the pitcher in the fridge. He flexed the hand that was supposedly numb. He did have _some_ movement there.

"You can sleep on the couch," she told him as she passed him the glass.

"It's so uncomfortable," he complained.

"Well, that's your option, so suck it up."

"An option is when you have more than one choice," he told her.

"Well then, it's the couch or nothing," she shot back, one hand on her hip.

He sighed, then swung his legs on the couch so that he could try to stretch out. That wasn't going to happen. It was a small couch and Natsu was too tall for it. He tried adjusting the pillow she threw at him behind his head, putting his feet up on the arm at the other end of the couch. The next thing she knew, he'd fallen flat on his face.

"I guess I'll sleep on the floor," he groaned.

Lucy was bewildered, "You've slept on that couch a million times! _HOW_ did you just fall off it?"

"My side is still numb," he muttered into the carpet, "I can't feel the edge of the couch."

Lucy sighed, "Okay, fine. You can sleep in the bed."

Natsu was off the floor before she finished her sentence, heading straight for the bedroom, "Thanks, Luce! You're the best!"

She screamed, covering her eyes. Natsu chuckled, realizing his towel had fallen off his waist. He didn't bother going back for it, instead getting his ass into the bedroom before she changed her mind.

It occurred to her that he was about to sleep on her sheets...naked.

"NATSU!" she cried out, hurrying after him, "Let me find something for you to wear!"

He cocked an eyebrow, "What for? I always sleep naked at home."

"Well, you're not at home!" she insisted, heading to her closet. She made sure not to divert her eyes, her face as red as Red Happy. She found one of her nightshirts...one that stretched down to her feet. It was pink with a large teddy bear on it.

"I'm not wearing that," Natsu told her.

"Well, you're wearing _something!"_ she insisted, digging further into her clothing.

A few minutes later, it dawned on Lucy that she should call Virgo and have her bring something from the Celestial World for him to wear.

Virgo appeared instantly, a small package in her hands, "Punishment, Princess?"

Her eyes glanced to the bed, "Ohh...maybe punishment for Master Natsu?"

"JUST GIVE ME THE CLOTHES!" Lucy yelled.

Virgo opened her mouth, probably to comment on the fact that Natsu was naked and in Lucy's bed. Lucy chucked a pillow, covering parts of his nakedness, then shut the gate before a sound could come out of her mouth.

"THANK you, Virgo - that'll be all!"

Virgo disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Lucy sat on the bed beside Natsu, resting her elbows on her knees, her face buried in her hands. His expression softened, his good hand reaching out to smooth the bangs out of her face.

"You okay, Luce?"

"Just exhausted," she murmured.

"I'm a pain in the ass, aren't I?"

She chuckled, "A little."

He paused, his face contorting slightly, "You would never leave me, would you, Luce?"

"Leave you?" she asked, turning to him.

"Like...join another team...or pick a new best friend or whatever?"

Lucy felt herself melt as she looked into his eyes. They were solemn and pleading. It was an expression she didn't see from him often.

She put her hand on his bicep, kneading his skin lightly, "I would never leave you, Natsu. You're my best friend and partner. Yes, you can be a pain in the ass, but we're a team. We help each other."

He nodded, contemplating her words.

"I told Dicksicle that," he murmured, "He said you're going to get tired of me one day and that you'd ditch me."

She paused, "Is that what your fight was about?"

He nodded again.

"Well, I won't leave you," she promised, "You're stuck with me."

"Thanks, Luce," he said softly. His gaze shifted to where she was still kneading his bicep, "That feels good."

"You can feel it?" she exclaimed, "Is your body thawing out?"

He pinched his own arm, then his torso, "Finally. It's about time. It helps when you massage the numb parts."

Lucy realized he was still naked, glancing down at the pajama bottoms Virgo had brought, "If you put these on, I'll massage you."

Natsu tried not to beam, taking the pants from her, "I might need help putting these on."

"Don't push your luck," she snapped, but her eyes were teasing as she exited the room long enough for him to put on the pants.

When she returned, he was lying on his stomach, his face buried in the pillow. His muscles were corded and she felt her heart quicken. Sitting on the bed beside him, she began to massage his frozen side, letting her fingers glide over his skin between movements.

"Why do you let Gray get to you like that?" she asked.

Natsu groaned in pleasure as her fingers dug deeper into his shoulder. The sensation of her hands on his skin was relaxing him. Lucy found herself enjoying the act of trying to massage his numb areas away, despite the fact that this was a new intimacy that they had never experienced together in all their years of friendship.

"He doesn't get to me," Natsu denied, "He just shoots his mouth off."

"And you react," Lucy told him, "Maybe look at what he says and what you know to be true and let his comments slide once in awhile. It would save you both a lot of time, pain, and heartache."

"Maybe," Natsu conceded.

Lucy's hands were venturing outside of the numb areas. She focused on his numb shoulder at first, feeling the knots inside. She worked at them arduously, then moved to the other shoulder.

"What if you meet someone one day?" he asked.

Lucy frowned, working her way down to his lower back. She pressed in with her palms, making Natsu gasp. The tension release was overtaking his whole body. He had never felt so relaxed.

"Natsu, where is all this coming from? You're being really weird."

She paused, watching his face twitch as he considered how to express his worry to her.

"Did Gray tell you I might leave you some day for another man?" Lucy guessed.

Natsu nodded.

She hesitated in answering, her hands stilling. The truth was, she'd always thought she'd get married someday. She hadn't considered that in order to do that, she would have to leave Natsu.

Natsu sat up before she could resume the massage, turning toward her. She couldn't read his expression. His bangs draped in his face, hiding his eyes. She felt her heart begin to pound as he buried his face in her breasts.

"Natsu…" she whispered, stroking his hair.

Normally she would kick him into next week for touching her so brazenly, but instead, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, placing her forehead on the top of his head.

Natsu wrapped his arms around her waist, breathing in her scent.

She wasn't sure who moved first, but the next thing she knew, Natsu's lips were on hers. It was a soft kiss, both testing to see how the other would react. Her blood raced, making her light headed as he deepened the kiss, slowly lowering her to the bed.

His lips ghosted over her neck, Lucy arching it to give him better access. Her fingernails scratched his bare back as new sensations shot through her. His body weight felt surprisingly good...and natural. He moved back up to her lips, this time kissing her a little harder.

"I think I love you, Luce," he whispered next to her ear, his warm breath making her body tingle.

Lucy was stunned, completely shocked to silence.

"Marry _me,_ " he whispered, shaking his head instantly when he saw her about to protest, "Not now. Later. Neither of us are ready now."

Lucy gasped. She didn't know how else to react. This was sudden...and completely unexpected. She worried he took her reaction the wrong way as he rolled off her body, sitting on the edge of the bed. She sat up, swinging her legs over the bed so that she sat beside him.

"Do you know what you're asking me?" she asked after a long moment, her voice shaking slightly.

He nodded, "Yeah. It's not the first time it's crossed my mind. Ice Prick hit a nerve..because I've always been contented with the way things are. It never occurred to me that one day, you could fall in love with someone else. I'm afraid...afraid that you'll find someone better than me. Smarter. Less destructive. Less of a pain in the ass. You deserve someone like that."

The words were still registering in her head, swirling billows of emotion bombarding her. It broke her heart to see him so desolate, awaking a new emotion deep within...one that wanted to comfort him and protect him.

"I don't _want_ someone like that," she whispered, placing her hand on his.

He glanced at her, hope lighting his eyes.

"It can only be you, you big dummy," Lucy grinned, hoping to wipe away his anxiety, "I just said I'd never leave you, didn't I?"

Natsu's mouth morph into a grin as he pounced on her, kissing her senseless.

Not even Gray's stupid ice could numb the feelings he had for the woman in his arms. Natsu would thank Gray one day for his big mouth and giving him the push he needed to get here, but for now he was happy to revel in all the sensations that was his love for Lucy.

* * *

 _ **A/N: OKAY I'M LATE! Nalu week is officially over and I still have this prompt, the next prompt, and bonus prompt to write. No excuses! No apologies!**_

 _ **Okay - here's my excuse. My boss is ill and needed to take a sudden medical leave. I have been contacting every patient and doctor in the lower half of BC, Canada to make sure they know she's away. I'm really sorry - I swear I'll finish the prompts!**_

 _ **Next up: Freedom/Chained. I've been working myself up to a lemon...seems like a good time for it, yes?**_

 _ **That said, thanks as always to the amazing Wordsaremyspells1331. I really don't know what I'd do without her. :D**_

 _ **Leave a comment! BLOW up the inbox! I love hearing your ideas!**_

 _ **(Wink)**_

 ** _~Shana~_**


	8. Chains of Freedom

_**A/N: This story is very different from anything I've written before...but I think you will enjoy it. Part of Nalu week is stepping outside of your comfort zone...and so I have done just that.**_

 _ **Please let me know at the end what you think.**_

 _ **:D**_

* * *

Natsu didn't remember falling, but he remembered the events leading up to his fall. One minute, he and his comrades were fighting the beast - a massive winged creature that breathed fire. Natsu had had the brilliant idea to jump on its back and try to spear it from there. Instead, Natsu could only assume that the beast threw him off, plunging him to the valley below.

He woke up in a grassy patch at the base of the cliff. Looking up, he couldn't see the sky, nor the top of the cliff, through the canopy of trees above him. It was a miracle that he'd survived. How _had_ he survived? He surmised he must have hit the canopy of branches above before falling to the ground. It was the only plausible explanation.

That left him with his next dilemma...how was he going to get back to his comrades?

The ground was crawling around him. Large beetles scurried between the fallen logs, the grass thick and untamed. There were no paths surrounding him, no sign of human life, although there were plenty of _other_ types of life rustling unseen around him. The brush was so thick, he couldn't see what was on the other side. Perhaps the best way to get answers was to climb the tree so he could see his surroundings.

It took Natsu a long time to scale the enormous tree. It stood several hundred feet in the air. The branches were smooth, giving him limited footholds. He persevered, knowing if he didn't, he could walk straight into danger.

The tree was also teaming with wildlife. Twice, he batted away 6" long beetles from him. A large snake tried to wrap him in its coils and Natsu had no choice but to kill it with his knife, throwing it to the ground below. Unfortunately, his knife went with it. Panic set in. He had just thrown away his only weapon of defense. He didn't know where he was, but it was dangerous...and he did not want to stay here any longer than he had to.

The top of the tree didn't offer him any answers. The canopy extended as far as his eyes could see. The cliff rose several thousand feet above him. He _still_ couldn't see the top. The skies were filled with large birds with huge teeth and talons, swooping into the trees. He could hear the cries of their victims as they were plucked up, then crushed in the birds' vicious claws. He jumped as an ape-like creature managed to loose itself from the talons, only to fall from the sky, landing metres from him. It bounced on the branch. Natsu could hear its bones crushing before it finally crashed down to the forest floor below.

Gulping, he ducked underneath a massive leaf, hiding himself from the predators. Now he had no idea what to do. He had survived the fall, but he'd be lucky if he survived the night.

Just as his thought finished, Natsu looked down to see a spear aimed at his throat. He shuddered, then followed the long, iron-made utensil to its wielder. He let out an audible sigh of relief, realizing it was a just a young girl. Her hair was blonde, her eyes a dark brown. He slid his eyes down her body, appreciating how toned and tanned it was. She wore nothing except a thin piece of fabric around her waist, a belt of sorts with many compartments attached to her side. Her breasts were completely exposed. He had never seen such nice breasts, but now was not the time to appreciate them. He forced himself to avert his eyes to hers.

"Hi!" Natsu lifted a hand in greeting.

The girl shoved her spear toward him, warning him not to come any closer.

"Any chance you speak English?" Natsu asked.

The girl scowled, thrusting her spear again.

Natsu threw both hands up, "Okay! I'm sorry! I promise I won't come any closer."

He glanced up at the sky. Some of the circling birds were swooping. It seemed the girl was thinking the same thing. She lowered her spear slightly, eyeing one bird in particular that seemed to have set its sights on them. It was getting closer.

"Tunow Lu-tka!" she growled at him.

"I don't understand," Natsu said, shaking his head.

"GET DOWN!" she cried out, pushing him off balance with the butt of the spear.

Natsu fell through the canopy, catching himself on a lower branch. He scrambled back up the tree, anxious to see how the young girl intended to defend herself against the monster.

The giant bird dove, its talons extended. The girl leaped into the air, releasing something from her hand. Natsu couldn't figure out what she had done, but whatever she threw hit the bird in its' side. It cried out as the object tore through its body, splaying blood across the nearby treetops. The object returned to her hand. A second bird diverted its path, releasing a blood-curling roar. The girl watched it dive straight for her.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Natsu shouted.

The girl stood her ground, waiting until the bird extended its talons, then threw the object a second time, slicing the gigantic bird's feet off its body. It cried out, then dropped, narrowly missing Natsu on the way down.

The girl climbed down a few branches, eyeing Natsu as she came to a stop.

"You speak English," he said in awe, his brain still trying to comprehend what he'd just witnessed.

"Hunya donee," she replied, glaring at him, "Toalee a mestwa."

"Okay, we have to come to an understanding here!" Natsu shook his head, "You can speak English...but I don't speak...whatever language that is."

The girl sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Long time for me, English," she told him, "No remember."

"You're pretty," he commented, admiring how her blonde hair shone in the sun.

She glared at him, raising the spear again.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, raising both hands to show he meant her no harm.

She snarled at him, glancing up at the sky to ensure they were still unhunted for the time being.

"Yaoo neng," she spat, as she spun on her feet.

"What the hell does that mean?" he demanded, "Hey wait! Where are you going?"

The girl was leaping to the next canopy top, her bare feet nimble on the branches. Natsu was extremely clumsy in comparison, almost slipping twice. If he fell to the ground from this height, he'd die for sure...not that he could figure out how he survived the initial fall in the first place...he'd driven himself batty trying to figure that one out. There was no more time to spend worrying about it...especially if he intended to catch up with her.

"You're moving too fast!" he cried out, "I can't keep up."

She stopped, turning to him, her eyes dangerously narrowed. Natsu hadn't been afraid of her until this point, but the look on her face said in no uncertain terms that she would not hesitate to kill him.

"Yaoo neng!" she repeated.

"I don't understand," Natsu said, trying to keep his voice even and non-threatening, "Please. I have nowhere to go. I'm lost. My friends are at the top of that cliff."

He pointed upward, the girl following his finger with her eyes to the endless cliffside.

"I need help," he reiterated, "Please…what does 'yaoo neng' mean?"

She sighed, her expression softening as she searched for the translation in her head, "It mean... _piss off._ "

"Piss off?" Natsu gasped, "You told me to piss off?"

He kicked the leaf next to his foot, nearly losing his balance again. His face was turning red with anger, stunning the girl. Why wasn't he more afraid of her?

"I don't believe this! I'm a fellow _human!_ " he ranted, "What decent person leaves another person to die? _Piss off_? I have nowhere to piss off to! Don't you get it? I won't survive the night unless you help me!"

The girl was still staring, her eyes wide. He was a strange creature...one that she hadn't seen since the days she had lived in Ishgar...a human male. She forgot how loud males could be.

"I'm Natsu," he said in a quieter voice, extending his hand.

She went to raise the spear, but something about this 'male' made her hesitate. He wasn't dangerous. He was alone and if she understood correctly, he was a long way from home. She knew that feeling well, although it had been years since she'd thought about her origins. She no longer belonged to that world.

"My name is Natsu," he repeated, placing a hand on his own chest, "What's your name?"

He took a cautious step forward, moving slowly so that she wouldn't freak out. When she didn't react, he took another step forward, then another. The gap narrowed until he stood in front of her. He was taller by several inches, his hair an odd pink colour she hadn't seen before. His eyes were dark, but glinted green when the sun flickered through the leaves. He wore a cloth over his shoulders, but it was open in the front, exposing his muscular body.

' _Vest_ ,' her mind told her, ' _And pants...he's wearing pants.'_

She glanced down to his feet. He was wearing _shoes_. That's why he kept slipping on the branches. If he could not return to his people, he would have to get used to going barefoot.

The others were going to freak. Most of them had never seen someone like him before.

"Natsu," he said again, his hand on his chest.

She placed her hand on her naked breast, her heart thudding as she spoke her name from her other world for the first time in years, "Lucy."

He grinned, elated at their breakthrough, "I'm glad to meet you, Lucy."

Lucy nodded to him, then assessed their position quickly. They could go down to the ground from here. The village was not far away. The winged creatures above were beginning to circle around again. It was time to descend before they decided to attack. Plus, it was necessary to return to the village before nightfall.

She pointed down, then jumped, landing on the branch below. Natsu was much more clumsy, much to her chagrin.

Twenty minutes later, they finally managed to get to solid ground. Natsu stepped on a large beetle, cringing as he lifted his foot, the gooey insides sticking to his shoe. Lucy knew the villagers weren't going to accept him readily. She needed a plan to keep him alive.

As they neared the village, Lucy lead him to a small hut on the outskirts. She could get some supplies there before taking him inside the village.

"Is this your house?" he asked, following her inside.

"Yaoo neng," she warned, halting him.

Natsu stood in one place, at first scowling at being told to piss off again. He relaxed slightly as he waited for her, whistling to himself. Aside from the hut, there were no other buildings. It was more of a lean-to, covered in vines - and if she hadn't lead him straight to it, he might not have realized it was there.

She emerged from the hut a moment later, thick chains in her hands.

"What are you going to do with those?" he asked, taking a step back. He felt a feeling of foreboding wash over him.

"No move," she told him.

Iron clasps clicked shut around his wrists. He stared in horror at her as she shackled his feet too. He could have fought back, but he wasn't sure what the lesser evil was. He would die in the jungle alone...or he could die at the hands of this girl. Something told him he was better off taking his chances with Lucy as a roar from something large echoed through the trees.

Lucy didn't flinch at the blood curling scream that ensued afterward.

"Villagers...will worry," Lucy told him, carefully thinking out each word, "Chains...keep Natsu safe."

"Safe?" he repeated, "I can't defend myself if I'm chained, Lucy."

She sighed, shaking her head, "Natsu trust Lucy. Lucy keep Natsu safe."

He stared at her, his eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't sure what to think...but he had no other options.

"Stay quiet," she told him as she started to walk, pulling him with the chain, "No talk. Lucy talk."

A moment later, he understood why she didn't want him to talk as she dragged him into a village. The huts were nestled in the trees, a large spiky fence surrounding the perimeter. She halted at the gate, glancing back at him, warning him with her eyes to remain silent. He nodded to her, understanding that he would be at the mercy of whomever was inside. The gate was made with spiky branches supported with metal beams, most likely to keep wild animals out. It had a wheel, so Natsu surmised that the village must have at least some technology. Lucy pulled the gate open enough to allow them to pass through, shutting it securely behind them.

She lead him through the centre of the village. He could feel the ominous stares of the villagers, but couldn't decipher individuals due to the rapid decline of light...only that they were tall - at least 7 feet tall on average.

As she led him toward the campfire in the centre of the village, Natsu's heart began to pound. In the centre of the clearing, they were torturing a wild boar, taking turns whacking its dying body with...something...Natsu couldn't decipher what. The wild pig cried out as one of the villagers delivered a last blow. It keeled over, several of the villagers attacking at once. In moments, the boar was reduced to bones. Natsu felt a chill rush through his body.

All eyes turning to Lucy and her captive. She wore a scowl as she approached, determination etched on her brow.

Natsu was able to make out more images now with the campfire light. The first thing he noticed was that they were all women - tall, incredibly fit women. Some were clad in garbs much like Lucy's, the same utility belts at their sides and their breasts exposed. They sat at one side of the fire, segregated from the others that wore white garments that completely covered their bodies from their necks down to their feet.

"Ateansic," one of the women greeted.

Natsu surmised that this must be the leader of the village. Her body adorned lavish jewels, her hair hidden under a tall turban-like headpiece.

More words were spoken. Lucy gritted her teeth, spitting her answers angrily. She held onto Natsu's chain with an iron grip, refusing to let go when the leader reached for it. The leader seemed amused at her answers, all eyes scrutinizing Natsu's appearance.

Two of the women flanked Natsu, reaching out long hands to touch him.

Lucy growled, releasing a warning roar, her round weapon in her hand. The women backed off, but not before releasing more anger-tinged words.

Lucy addressed the leader again, her weapon still in hand. The standoff broke when the leader uttered some decisive words. Only then did Lucy's grip on the chain relax. She turned, leading Natsu off into the darkness.

"What's happening?" Natsu whispered to Lucy. It bothered him that he couldn't comprehend the discussion. All he knew was that the look in the leader's eyes - and all the other women's - was frightening. It was a cross between lust... and possibly a fate similar to the pig's.

"Lucy will fight to keep Natsu as her pet on the morrow," Lucy told him, "Akkadia wants Natsu for one of the child bearers. Lucy told Akkadia Natsu is Lucy's."

"I don't belong to anyone!" Natsu protested, digging his heels into the ground defiantly.

Lucy turned to him, placing a hand on his bicep, "Natsu does not want to belong to a child bearer. Lucy will be good to Natsu. Pakawala...not so much."

Natsu bit his lower lip, wondering what a Pakawala was. He decided to let it go for now. He had a myriad of other questions to ask her.

"Where are the men of this village?" he demanded.

"No men," Lucy shook her head, "Men work in caves. Bring metals for Lucy to make weapons and jewelry."

"They're slaves?" Natsu asked incredulously.

Lucy nodded solemnly as they arrived at a tree hut.

She gestured to the ladder, "Climb."

It was no easy feat to obey her with the chains on, but somehow Natsu managed to get to the top.

She lit a few candles, providing soft light. He noted the hut was very simple. There was a cloth bed, but no blankets. A few garments sat in one corner, a latrine of sorts in another. He sat down on the wooden floor, watching as she poured water into a metal cup. She offered it to him, holding the cup steady for him as he drank.

"You aren't from here," Natsu stated as she sat on the bed.

She shook her head, "Lucy is from Ishgar too. Village name 'Ateansic'...it mean 'Girl Who Fell from Sky.' Lucy is Ishgar name."

Natsu's face fell, "Then you're a prisoner too."

"Lucy live here now. Not prisoner. Lucy is Ateansic."

"Do they accept you?" Natsu asked, "You're very different than them."

Lucy nodded hesitantly, "Ranks in village. Elders, childbearers, warriors, and workers. Lucy is warrior. She defends village. Lucy also knows things from Ishgar, so they do not kill her. They need Lucy. Lucy is...respected."

"Do you...have a little one?" he asked slowly.

Lucy shook her head, "Lucy different than others. Men think Lucy ugly."

Natsu scoffed. Ugly was _not_ how he would describe her at all. Lucy was gorgeous. Although he hadn't gotten a good look at the villagers, he was pretty sure none could compare to her. They were all tall and buff. Lucy was maybe 5'7. She was fit, but her muscles didn't bulge like the other women's did. He wondered what the men looked like, feeling terribly sorry for them. He didn't think a human male could procreate with one of these beings...which meant if Lucy could not prove his worth, he was in real trouble.

"I'm glad," Natsu said awkwardly, "If they think you're ugly, then they will probably leave you alone. But what will become of me?"

She crawled forward on her hands and knees, watching Natsu's face intently as she unlocked his restraints with a key she'd kept in her belt. He couldn't help but notice the sultry look in her eyes. Her breasts brushed against his lap as she set the chains aside, taking his hand.

"Natsu will be Lucy's."

She dropped his hand, then crawled into the cloth bed, stretching. She beckoned him to join her. Natsu was hesitant at first, but her wide open arms were enticing. Slowly, he slid into the bed beside her, letting out a sharp breath as she settled her head in the crook of his arm. Her hand stretched out across his chest, tracing his abs. He felt his body begin to tingle as she reached for his hand, gently placing it on her breast.

"Lucy?" he asked hesitantly.

"Natsu is the same as Lucy," she whispered, "Natsu can make Lucy child-bearer."

Natsu nearly choked at this revelation. Child bearers were obviously much revered in the village, and yet, Natsu hadn't seen a single child. It seemed that warriors were also respected, as were elders, but child bearers were treated as sacred.

Lucy drew his attention back to her as she ran a hand down his cheek, drawing him into a languid kiss.

She encouraged his hand to knead her breast lightly, her legs intertwining with his as she leaned into his embrace. Natsu's senses were reeling as she shifted, hovering over his body. Their eyes locked, Natsu's hand stilling.

She lowered her body onto his, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pressed her lips to his again. Natsu's heart threatened to burst out of his chest, unconsciously bucking up into her hips as he kissed her back. He didn't know what it was about this woman, but he trusted her explicitly.

He had to stop this. It wasn't right.

"Mavis," Natsu whispered when they broke apart. He pushed her back slightly, "Lucy...we can't do this. I don't even know you."

Lucy paused for a long moment, then nodded, "Tomorrow. Tomorrow Natsu will be Lucy's."

She sighed contently, settling back into the crook of his arm.

"The fight tomorrow...is it dangerous?" Natsu asked, trying to distract himself from his aroused body.

"Lucy won't lose," Lucy stated.

He frowned. That didn't answer his question at all.

* * *

The sun couldn't light the village completely due to the amount of greenery above, but Natsu could see much better than he could the night before.

Lucy had shackled his hands and ankles again, apologizing with her eyes as she led him back to the centre of the village. She locked the chain around a tree to prevent Natsu from running away. Honestly, he couldn't have run even if he did have an opportunity. The jungle outside the village was dangerous and impossible for him to navigate. He had no idea where he was now. He wouldn't last a day.

"Stay here," Lucy whispered, leaning in to kiss him passionately, "Lucy needs to get ready."

Some of the villagers screamed angry words at Lucy, but she ignored them, disappearing into the hut beside the fire pit. Natsu surmised this must be a supply hut. It was larger than the other huts and it was built on the ground. It was locked, however, and Lucy had the key.

He could see the villagers clearly now. He was right in his assumption that most were over 7 feet tall. Their muscles bulged like they'd been on steroids for most of their lives, their skin most likened to an olive green. Their faces were oblong, their hair jet-black. Some wore their hair in jeweled turbans like the elder, Akkadia. Most wore it down. Their eyes were as black as their hair, tear-drop shaped.

He could clearly distinguish the warriors from the workers. He assumed there must also be a level of ranking amongst each group. Some of the working age women were better dressed than others. Many of the workers were bare-breasted like Lucy was last night. He guessed the child bearers were the ones with the long white robes. None appeared to be pregnant...and the absence of children still worried him.

A woman, well over the 7 foot average, approached Natsu, eyeing his body up and down. She reached out, lifting his arm with a single, 7" long finger, then dropped it, moving to his pink hair. She ran her fingers through it, then dropped her hand to grope his crotch.

"Hey!" Natsu warned, kicking at her, "Back off!"

She looked at him. Natsu couldn't read her eyes, but her touch was unwelcome.

"You heard me," he growled, "Yaoo neng!"

The woman reeled back in apparent surprise. Natsu let out a low chuckle, vowing to learn more words from Lucy. The woman uttered something as she glanced toward the hut, her dark eyes promising she'd be back.

As Lucy emerged from the hut, he could see that she wore a breastplate, tailored to her body, and a metallic-like skirt. Natsu had never seen material like it before. Her hair was pulled back from her face underneath a metal helmet. A whip was fastened to her waist belt on one side, a circular metallic ring fastened to the other side.

"Pakawala," Lucy seethed, her eyes narrowing on the other woman, "Ne geth sowdema!"

Pakawala straightened, dwarfing Lucy by 2 feet. She scowled at Lucy, opening her mouth to reveal two rows of jagged teeth. Her fingers extended, revealing sharp talons.

Pakawala was Lucy's challenger, he realized.

She let out a feral scream, chilling Natsu to his bones. He didn't know what these people were, but they weren't human. The scream pierced his ears. Lucy did not flinch as she stared Pakawala down, despite the face that Natsu was now beyond scared shitless.

There was no cordoned off ring in which to fight, no referee to declare the fight was on. The villagers sat to the edges of the clearing, well out of the way. Natsu's tree was a little more inside the fighting zone. Akkadia adorned what Natsu supposed was an entertained grin. He cringed, wondering just how violent this was going to get.

Lucy lowered her body, preparing herself for an attack as Pakawala circled her. One hand waited on her whip.

He barely saw Pakawala charge, her talons swiping toward Lucy. His eyes widened. If they connected with Lucy's body, she would be shredded. Lucy back-flipped out the way, stunning Natsu with her agility, even in the metal garment. She flicked out her whip, snapping it toward Pakawala's ankle. As it wrapped around, the whip electrified, causing Pakawala to scream. She lunged at Lucy, her talons scraping Lucy's arm.

Lucy cried out, ignoring the blood flinging from her forearm as she released the whip, redirecting it to Pakawala's arm. She pulled, tearing flesh away. He fought the urge to throw up as some of the blood landed on his feet, some of the other women rushing to lick it off. He kicked at their faces, crying out in horror and disgust.

Natsu's stomach lurched again as he realized Pakawala's blood was orange. There was nothing human about these people at all. They were savage. He wondered how Lucy had survived so many years with them. But the more he watched, the more he began to understand. Lucy _wasn't_ going to lose the fight...Lucy was a warrior.

"Woavea iw lawo!" Lucy screamed, flicking her whip at the women at Natsu's feet.

They hissed at her, but dispersed back to the edge of the circle.

Natsu couldn't find the time to be relieved, "LUCY - WATCH OUT!"

Lucy pulled the metal circle from her belt, flinging it as Pakawala attacked her turned back. It caught her just below her jawline, drawing blood instantly. Lucy went on the offensive, kicking Pakawala in the stomach, sending her reeling backward. She advanced, landing assaulting blow after assaulting blow.

Pakawala somehow managed to reach out her massive hand, grabbing Lucy by the neck. She lifted her, suspending Lucy in mid-air. Lucy tried to kick, but she couldn't reach Pakawala's body. Her fingers searched for the metal circle on her hip as Pakawala began to squeeze, cutting off Lucy's air supply. Drool dribbled out of her mouth as she began to gnash the 2 rows of teeth. Natsu cringed. The woman was going to bite Lucy. Other villagers began to chatter, similar displays of drool hanging from their mouths.

Lucy chucked the metal circle. It went out several feet, then boomeranged, splitting Pakawala's hand. She screamed in agony, dropping Lucy to the ground. Lucy righted herself, her eyes narrowing in on her target.

Natsu had never seen such determination in anyone before. Lucy attacked. Both women shrieked their rage as they traded blows. Slowly but surely, Pakawala's hits were missing their target. It was apparent that Lucy would win this fight. Natsu wondered how far she would have to take it before Pakawala backed down.

Pakawala clawed at the air, her remaining taloned hand connecting with Lucy more than once, but Lucy's focus was steadfast. She flipped out of the way as Pakawala's teeth bore down toward her shoulder. She landed behind the gigantic woman. Her whip wrapped around Pakawala's neck, snapping it...and the fight was over.

Pakawala fell to the ground, not moving. The other villagers stared, but nobody cheered...or went to attend to Pakawala. Her eyes didn't have eyelids, but Natsu swallowed hard as the black eyes faded to gray.

Lucy had killed her.

Lucy's lungs heaved from the exertion as she turned toward Akkadia, her dark eyes scowling.

"Dsi me so megra," she told Akkadia.

"Woasw leawo we," Akkadia called out, glancing at the other women.

Both Natsu and Lucy held their breaths, but nobody else stepped forward.

Akkadia nodded, gesturing to Natsu. His eyes were wide as Lucy lumbered toward him, unchaining him from the tree. She led him back to her hut slowly, limping on one leg. Her injuries were obviously causing her extreme grief, but her expression remained steadfast as they climbed the ladder. Behind them, they could hear the gnashing of teeth. Natsu cringed, not wanting to know what they were doing to Pakawala's body.

"What just happened?" Natsu asked as entered the small hut.

"Natsu belongs to Lucy," Lucy murmured, "No one will challenge Lucy for Natsu again as long as he is hers."

"But I'm not yours," he protested, "You might have me in shackles, but I'm still free. You can't take my free will from me."

She opened her mouth to elaborate what she'd meant, instead swaying, her eyes rolling back into the head.

He jumped, barely catching her in time. His restraints made it difficult, but he managed to lower her into the bed. He eyed the pouch on her belt that would contain the key to his restraints, then decided to go for it. Lucy needed help.

Once freed, he beelined for the water, dampening a cloth, then began to clean Lucy's wounds. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of 'belonging' to anyone, but Lucy was his only friend in this world. She had fought for him...and he'd be damned if she was going to die now!

* * *

 _6 months later…_

* * *

6 months...Natsu couldn't believe it had been that long. He assumed his comrades thought he was dead by now. He had settled into life in the village, earning respect as Lucy's hard working servant.

Nobody had challenged her for him since that day, but Lucy had suffered some severe consequences. Her wounds were deep and it took 3 days for Natsu to get the fever to break. Nobody came to check on her. Nobody bothered them. Natsu never strayed far from the hut, hunting small birds and other small creatures, then returning immediately to the relative safety of the hut. After the third day, Lucy opened her eyes, offering Natsu a grateful smile. After that, the two were inseparable.

He'd learned quite a bit about the village since then. He'd learned that Lucy had earned her place in the village by being a warrior. Despite her small stature, Lucy was quick and agile. Whenever the village was threatened, Lucy was the first to respond. He'd learned that the hard way the day the village was attacked by a 40 foot lizard. Lucy sprang into action before the other villagers could mobilize, defeating it quickly. The meat was devoured within the hour. Natsu had had to turn away, unable to watch the woman-like creatures tear the flesh from the lizard's bones with their teeth. Lucy took a small share, but cooked it for herself and Natsu. Lucy never ate raw meat. For that, Natsu was truly thankful.

There was more than one benefit to having Lucy in the village. Lucy knew how to cultivate the metal that was mined into useful items. She told Natsu once that her father had been a miner. Her mother cultivated the metal into useful items, teaching Lucy everything she knew. The metal found in these caves was not native to Ishgar. It was a bendy substance with the strength of the strongest steel, both flexible and durable.

Lucy kept the weapons for herself, aware that if the villagers ever turned against her, she would need to defend herself. She designed the weapons so that they could not be used by the villagers' gigantic hands. However, she also used the metal to contribute to the village in other ways such as constructing waterways with metallic passages which allowed each hut access to clean water and a clean latrine, a defensive fence to help keep predators away from the village, and creating the jewelry that the elders wore.

Natsu ran into his first man after he'd been there for a month. He was tall, like the women, but his skin had more of a blue tinge to it than green. He was much less muscular. Akkadia had him brought into the village for the child bearers. There was a ceremony of sorts, and then he disappeared into Akkadia's hut, a dozen or more child bearers waiting for him there.

Natsu never saw the man again, but he would never forget the screams that wracked the village that night. Later, Lucy explained that once a little one had been made, there was no more use for the man. He would return to the mines to gather the metal there if he survived.

This man had not survived.

The mating ritual was repeated monthly. He never did get used to the cries of helpless victims. The villagers were savage...Natsu had seen example after example of their brutality toward each other. One time, two of the women had gotten into a spat of some kind. Lucy pulled Natsu away, claiming he did not want to watch what was going to happen. Later, he found out the two women fought until one died. The other woman cannibalized her on the spot.

Natsu spent his time assisting Lucy in her duties, but one of his favourite activity was hunting. Natsu had become quite adept at using a bow and arrow that Lucy had made specifically for him. He became as agile as she was, already proficient at using weapons from his job in Ishgar. Plus, hunting provided the only time he was permitted to walk around chain-free. Lucy explained to him that as long as he acted as her servant, the other villagers would leave him alone. If he became free all the time, she would be challenged again. Natsu had learned to accept it. The rest of his life with Lucy was near perfect, so he would tolerate that injustice.

During the 6 month time frame, Natsu also worked on Lucy's English with her, slowly getting her to drop the 3rd person. He introduced her to basic words, teaching her a new phrase everyday. Natsu was learning the village language too, not that anyone ever talked to him. Her ownership of him was absolute. In essence, he was her _pet._..and she had won the right to own him exclusively.

Nighttime had quickly become Natsu's favourite part of their daily routine. They were filled with caresses and soulful stroking, although Natsu had never allowed full intercourse. Lucy respected his views after a long discussion one day. Other villagers spawned little ones, who were quickly whisked away to a corner of the village to be raised separately by caregivers. Natsu found the impersonal relations of these beings very sad. If he were to get Lucy pregnant, he didn't want his offspring treated like that...raised emotionless and without love...segregated without hope of having a family.

He was sitting on top of the canopy of trees, contemplating his new life, when Lucy joined him. Natsu was a good tree climber now. He'd gotten rid of his shoes, and was now as adept at climbing as Lucy was. This was their favourite spot at night. The stars were still too far away to see, but the birds that preyed overtop of the canopy during the day were gone in the dark hours, resting in the caverns within the cliffs. They could see the entire valley from here. The view was spectacular.

"You're quiet today," she mused, smacking his arm playfully.

He nodded, "I'm just thinking, that's all."

"About what?" she asked.

He hesitated, not sure she'd understand. She'd been in the village for so long that this was her way of life now.

"I'm homesick," he admitted, "I miss my friends and my family."

She frowned, intertwining her fingers with his, "Are you not happy here?"

He squeezed her hand, "I am to a point. I'm getting used to life here...but there's a lot of things I miss about Ishgar."

She kept her eyes glued to his, asking what he missed with her eyes.

"I have a sister," he told her, "And a best friend. And other friends."

She nodded slowly. Family was not important in the village. Neither did the villagers form close bonds. That was part of the reason she loved Natsu so much. She had been craving the bond that only a close relationship could provide.

"What were you doing when you fell down the cliff?" Lucy asked.

It was a question she hadn't asked before. They never talked about his life in Ishgar. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Lucy could barely remember her life there. She was a child when she'd been thrown to the valley below by a man who was angry with her father. She had found her father's body shortly after she'd woken up. Her mother was a short distance from him, her body torn apart on the rocks. Lucy had no one to return to.

"My friends and I," Natsu said quietly, "We were adventurers. A town hired us to exterminate a large beast that breathed fire."

"A wyvern," she supplied, "We haven't seen one around here for awhile."

Natsu nodded, "I jumped on its back to try to spear it and I fell. I don't know how I survived the fall."

Lucy laid her head on his chest, "I do."

He glanced at her, his eyes questioning.

"You maimed the wyvern," Lucy told him, "I saw it descending into the valley. It tried to land in the trees, but the birds of prey could smell the blood and attacked it. You didn't fall from the top of the cliff, Natsu. You fell from the wyvern's back when it was attacked."

"Oh," he said simply. There was nothing more to say. If his friends had seen him fall with the wyvern, they would definitely think he was dead. Nobody was searching for him.

"Let's go back to the hut," she suggested, seeing the sadness in his eyes.

Natsu sighed, laying his thoughts aside for the night. He shimmied down the tree after her, entering their hut in silence.

Lucy pressed her body to Natsu's, slowly removing his now jagged vest. He still insisted on wearing it, even though his pants had long since worn out and he now wore a loincloth most of the time. She dropped it now to the ground, rendering him completely naked. He reached out, caressing her breasts lightly as their lips met in a slow, soulful kiss. He pulled the string on her skirt, releasing it to the floor.

"Will you make love to me tonight?" she asked.

She asked every night, knowing he would turn her down. She saw the logic in his reasoning. Even though she'd lived in the village for most of her life, she would never get used to the way the social dynamics of the villagers worked either. Natsu's arrival had offered her a chance to have that much needed intimate relationship. Tonight, she sensed his sorrow and pain. There was still a part of her deep down that felt that same sense of loss. He would need her tonight more than ever.

He shook his head, "Luce...you know we can't."

Lucy smirked, running her hands over his muscles, "I know. Maybe you need me to love you tonight though. I don't like seeing you so sad."

He kissed her longingly, thankful that she understood. Lucy took both his hands, sinking with him to the bed. One hand migrated to his cock, encircling it. She pumped it, feeling the adrenaline rush through her when it twitched. His body amazed her. She loved how responsive it was to her.

Lucy's kisses deviated from his mouth, slowly making its way down his neck. There was a spot on his neck that made him putty in her hands. She suckled it, feeling the adrenaline hit when he moaned, falling down to his back on the bed.

His hand groped her ass as she hovered over top of his body, kneading it lightly as she made her way to his chest. She stroked his cock gently in time to her kisses.

"Luce," he whispered.

Lucy pressed her hips to Natsu's groin, pausing her ministrations to gasp at the contact. The sensation drove her wild, fueling her lust. Her lips left his chest abruptly. Natsu was about to protest when he felt her mouth take him all in. She sucked hard, bobbing her head up and down. He cried out, beginning to pant as she worked. Her right hand massaged his balls as her left stroked underneath of her bobbing mouth.

"Mavis, Luce…" he groaned, "That feels so good!"

A moment later, he couldn't hold on anymore, his hot juices exploding from him. She continued to stroke him until he was done, his entire body going limp.

She settled into the crook of his arm, positioning herself so that he could touch her when he'd come down from his high. Natsu rolled over, pinning her underneath of him as he claimed her mouth in a deep kiss. This was when it was hardest for him. He wanted nothing more than to make love to Lucy, but the fact remained...he did not want any children of his to be raised in this village. If they were in Ishgar, he'd agree to it in a heartbeat.

He paused, realizing that this feeling was not going to go away. He'd been putting it off for months, waiting for the monsoon season to be over. They'd been pounded with heavy rains for weeks. Now the rain was subsiding...and it was time to put a plan into action to get home.

He wondered if she would tell him he couldn't go. He was, afterall, still technically her pet, regardless of the fact that they acted more like partners and best friends for months now.

"I want to leave, Luce," he said softly, "I want to go home."

She froze, her hands still cradling his face as shock set in, "You can't just leave."

"Will you hold me here?" he asked.

He watched her, assessing her response. A shadow crossed her face and for a moment, Natsu thought she might cry - but he had never seen any emotion like that come from Lucy in the past. That couldn't be it.

She shook her head after a long moment, "You've never been my prisoner. The chains are to keep the other women from challenging me for you. I won't stop you if that's what you really want...but I will miss you."

"Lucy," he said softly, taking both her hands, "Tell me how you feel about me."

Lucy's eyes were large as she searched his.

"I don't want you to leave me," she whispered, her voice trembling, "You have made life joyful for me again. I look forward to spending time with you every day...and loving you every night...and waking up in your arms each morning."

"Do you love me, Luce?" he asked.

It was a simple question, but one that sent Lucy's senses into overdrive. Love had never been an option for her before. But the thought of him leaving her behind in the village forever...never seeing him again…

"Yes," Lucy murmured. The squeak in her voice surprised both of them.

He caressed her cheek, leaning forward to kiss her gently.

"Then come with me."

"Come with you?" she repeated.

Natsu hadn't seen that look on her face before. In this place, there was no room for doubt. Lucy had to be confident and assertive all the time. She would be killed at the first sign of weakness. It was strange to see her so vulnerable.

Escape hadn't been an option for Lucy for years. The idea of leaving the only place she'd known for years was...daunting.

"I don't want to leave without you," he murmured, his lips against her neck, "Come with me."

"We couldn't go if we wanted to," she whispered, "We don't know how to return to Ishgar."

"I do," he argued, "I've been exploring the birds of prey caves when I'm out hunting. There's some tunnels that I think could lead us back to Ishgar."

Lucy shook her head, worry clouding her dark eyes.

"We'd have to fight the birds!" she tried to reason.

"We are both skilled warriors," he asserted, "Luce...consider our options. We can spend every day fighting for our lives in a village of savages...or we can die trying to go home. I don't know about you, but I'd rather die a free man. You're their prisoner too, Luce."

Lucy knew it was true. She had fought for her survival and adapted to their way of life so that she could continue to live.

"They don't care about you," Natsu growled haughtily, "They let you live here because you have talents they can't replicate. They need you as a skilled warrior, but they don't care about you. They're using you, Luce."

"The villagers...they can't process the metals without me…" she murmured.

He placed his forehead to hers, kissing her nose gently, "They survived before you...and they'll survive afterward."

She was still hesitant...afraid of the unknown.

"I'll make love to you right now if you promise to go with me," he murmured, "There is nothing here for us. Even if we can't get back to Ishgar, we can make a life outside this village. Yes, I want to go home and see my family and friends...but I don't really care where we end up...as long as we're together and away from here."

Lucy felt an unfamiliar wetness in her eyes. She ran a finger along her eyelid, surprised to see the moisture on her finger. It had been a long time since she'd felt emotion other than anger and the drive to survive. Since Natsu arrived, she'd been introduced to a whole new array of feelings. She couldn't go back to life without him. He made her existence worthwhile.

"I love you, Lucy," he murmured, "Come with me. My friends will welcome you. We can be a family."

Lucy was surprised as her eyes started watering. Suddenly, the idea of going to Ishgar was overwhelmingly all she wanted.

"I'll go with you," she whispered.

He grinned, kissing her longingly on the mouth.

"Tomorrow night," he told her, one hand slipping between her legs, "We'll leave in the dead of night."

She nodded, throwing her head back as he stroked her. His lips settled on her left breast, his free hand kneading the right. His cock was stiff again, pressing into her thigh as he stroked her with his fingers, slipping a finger inside of her wet passage. The sensation was unlike anything she'd felt before. He regularly went down on her, but never had he stroked her inside. Her heart pounded. He was going to make good on his promise. He was finally going to make love to her.

"I want you, Luce," he whispered huskily.

Lucy couldn't answer, her senses reeling. She felt him adjust, the head of his penis replacing his fingers. Lucy cried out, barely able to breath as he pressed into her.

' _So good!'_ she wanted to scream, but her voice was gone, completely sucked away.

Natsu kissed her deeply as he began to thrust, one hand still stroking her clit. He set a pace, withdrawing slowly, re-entering hard. Lucy found herself lifting her hips to meet him, her breath all but gone. New sensations claimed her entire body. She had had orgasms before - his tongue delving into her pussy made her cum every time - but the buildup this time was different than anything she had ever experienced. Her entire body tingled, every fibre of sensation leading to her passage.

"Luce," he groaned.

He had to change positions or he would cum too soon. He wanted her to orgasm at least twice. He flipped her over, his chest flush against her back as he re-entered. Lucy began to moan with each thrust, the new position allowing him to penetrate deeper. His fingers resumed playing with her clit, sending her to new heights.

She cried out, her walls clenching him as she came hard. Her entire body shuddered. Natsu didn't stop, drawing out her orgasm for as long as he could before he withdrew again.

"Lie on your side," he murmured in her ear.

Lucy could barely hear him, the adrenaline from her orgasm not washed away yet. Somehow, she managed to obey him. He spooned her behind, entering her as his arms wrapped around her. One hand played with her breasts, the other with her pussy. The addition of his lips on her neck sent her into overdrive again, the buildup rapidly climbing.

"I'm going to cum with you this time, Luce," he told her.

She still couldn't answer him, gasping as his pace quickened again.

"Natsu!" she cried out, gripping the forearm of the hand that massaged her boobs.

"Oh gawd," Natsu groaned.

Three hard thrusts later, Lucy released again, unable to contain her voice. Natsu followed immediately afterward, pulling out so that he wouldn't cum inside her.

Lucy was panting hard as she felt the hot strings hit her back.

They collapsed together, thoroughly satiated for time being.

Lucy gasped, trying to catch her breath, "That was...Natsu...we need to do that again."

"That's what's great about it, Luce," he murmured into her ear, "Once we're outta here, we're free. We can do this every night for the rest of time."

As much as Lucy didn't want to admit it, she wasn't going to miss the villagers that had held her captive for long.

The fear of the unknown gave way to her aspiration to follow Natsu to the ends of Earthland until they found Ishgar...

...a life where they could be free.

* * *

 _ **A/N: I really hope you enjoyed this. I wasn't kidding - I stepped out of my comfort zone big time!**_

 ** _We are down to ONE PROMPT - the bonus prompt of 100 Year Quest. I'll post it in a few days, so if you have amazing suggestions, lemme hear it! I love hearing opinions._**

 ** _Seeya next time!_**

 ** _~Shana~_**


	9. 100 Years Quest

_**A/N: Sighhhh...better late than never? Well, here it is - the end of Nalu 2018 Bonus Prompt - 100 Years Quest. Are you reading the new manga? I've tied in bits from the end of Fairy Tail and the new quest...but I shouldn't be spoiling too, too much. This is based on the Manga Fairy Tail: 100 Year Quest. Team Natsu needs to defeat 5 Dragon-turned wizards in order to complete the quest. Nuff said...if you're not reading the new manga, DO IT! It's so good!**_

 _ **A special thanks to my dear friends MorriganFae for editing this chapter and working with me to get it JUST right. And as always, my other dear friend Wordsaremyspells1331...loyal beta that I have SO Much respect for.**_

 _ **Here we go...ENJOY!**_

* * *

Natsu stood in front of the Dragon-turned slayer, Elefceria, his eyes blazing as he threw his enormous bag to the ground.

"They're all defeated."

Elefceria studied the young man in front of him.

" _All_ of them?" he asked, the skepticism heavy in his voice.

Natsu narrowed his eyes, the scowl on his face growing dangerous, "You heard me."

Elefceria chuckled, "I assume you have the proof then?"

Natsu kicked the bag toward him.

Elefceria glanced into the bag, shrugging as he let it drop to his feet, "Five sets of horns. Guess you _do_ have the proof."

Natsu's stare intensified, his muscles bulging as his entire body tensed. The old man lost his amused smile, a little intimidated by the heat of anger radiating from Natsu's worn body. Team Natsu had defeated five dragons...but Natsu wouldn't be opposed to one more set of dragon horns over his fireplace mantle at home if Elefceria didn't make good on his promise.

"You owe me a wish, old man."

Elefceria threw his hands up in the air as He paced back and forth, "So it would seem! You have completed the quest...but only you. Were there not eight of you at the start?"

Natsu gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to kill the old geezer where he stood. Elefceria was toying with him now. He knew damned well that Natsu was the only one who survived. The entire team had managed to take down the first, second, and third dragons, discovering that their magic combined in a unison raid was a fearsome thing indeed. The fourth dragon had been harder. Team Natsu managed to find a time hole in the fabric of space again, banishing it after a long hard battle.

But the fifth dragon...

...the fifth dragon had decimated them all.

"THE WISH!" Natsu insisted, his anger flaring.

Elefceria nodded, "Very well then. Let's have it. Do you want riches beyond your wildest dreams? Perhaps your own island? Maybe you'd like to rule Earthland?"

Natsu shook his head impatiently, "I want my friends back."

Elefceria started to laugh, "You want your friends back? Do you not understand what I'm offering you? You can have anything you want!"

"I WANT MY FRIENDS BACK!" Natsu yelled, his rage shaking the walls of the guild around them, "And I want them the way they were before she reverted them!"

Elefceria stopped laughing, eyeing the young dragon slayer in front of him. His expression turned solemn, "I can't grant that wish."

"Why not?!" Natsu cried out, "You said I could wish for anything – _Bring my friends back!"_

"That won't be a problem for Erza," Elefceria told him, "She was reverted to the state she was in when she fought in Tartaros – blind...deaf...mute...all her pain sensors exacerbated. I can bring her back. And I bring Wendy back from her pre-Fairy Tail state. The Exceeds can come back to their true form."

"And Gray and Lucy!" Natsu thundered, "Bring them back too!"

Elefceria paused, slowly shaking his head, "I can bring Gray back...but that would mean Lucy would reawaken. I can't revert her back to the Lucy you know."

"YES, YOU CAN!" Natsu insisted, "You told us you could give us any wish!"

Eleceria shook his head, "I can't do it, young man. Lucy will destroy Earthland if I bring back her or Gray."

Natsu could feel the walls compressing on him. He started to breathe hard, reality slamming into him as he thought back to the events leading up to this moment.

The onslaught of memory threatened to overwhelm him. He couldn't afford to lose sight of the big picture here. He needed to focus on the wizard in front of him.

Elefceria looked melancholy, torn with the knowledge that he could not grant Natsu his wish.

"Then take my life in exchange for Lucy's," Natsu said firmly.

Elefceria gawked.

"I am END," Natsu stated, "If END doesn't exist, then neither will the demon curses of my book. Lucy will be human again. Gray would not need to sacrifice himself. My friends can all live."

"Do you realize what you're suggesting?" Elefceria roared, "You would exchange your life for Lucy's? I can bring back Erza, the Exceeds and Wendy! Isn't that good enough?"

Natsu shook his head, his eyes lowering to the ground, "I can't live in a world without Lucy."

Elefceria searched Natsu's downcast form. His suggestion would save all Natsu's friends.

"Are you sure?"

Natsu nodded, dropping to his knees, "Do it."

Elefceria paused, "Is there anything...you'd liked them to know?"

Natsu nodded, mumbling out his message to the old wizard, then closed his eyes and waited for the darkness to come.

* * *

Lucy opened her eyes slowly, vaguely aware of the pain in her body. She was in a grassy field, but the more her eyes focused, the more it dawned on her – she was _home_. This was Magnolia. She was in the field beside Fairy Tail.

But how could that be?

She wracked her brain, the details coming into focus bit by bit.

 _100 Years Quest._

 _They had defeated 4 of the 5 dragons. But the 5th's magic was too strong._

Lucy rubbed her head, trying to dull the headache that clouded her thinking.

She forced herself to sit up, holding her head as she tried to adjust to the blinding light. How did she get here? Where were the others?

"Hold still," Wendy's voice told her.

Lucy felt Wendy's hands settle on her temples, her magic flowing into Lucy's body. She felt her headache dull, then disappear entirely. Wendy shifted so she was sitting on her knees beside Lucy. She looked like Wendy again – the mature Wendy. Lucy wasn't sure which girl moved first, but the next thing she knew, they were locked in a tight, desperate-for-answers hug.

"What happened?" Lucy asked, "How did we get back?"

"I don't know," Wendy shook her head, "but my power levels are up again. I'm back to myself."

"Where are the others?" Lucy demanded, getting to her feet.

Wendy scrambled upright, scanning the field, "I haven't seen any of the others...you're the first one I found."

Nodding to each other in unspoken agreement, the two separated, desperately searching the field. The Fairy Tail Guild Hall stood proudly at the end of it, some of the guild members staring into the field, trying to see who was there and why they looked so panicked.

"I found Carla!" Wendy cried out.

Lucy diverted her path, running to Wendy. She fell to her knees as Wendy worked to revive her beloved Exceed.

"It _IS_ Team Natsu!" Macao yelled over his shoulder. He broke out into a run, Wakaba and Romeo on his heels, "Welcome home!"

"We need to find the rest of the team!" Lucy shouted, a little surprised at the emotional crack in her voice, "NATSU! WHERE ARE YOU?"

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. An unspoken foreboding fell over her. Something had happened to Natsu.

Wendy was speaking softly to Carla, who was starting to awaken.

"Fan out!" Macao ordered, "It looks like Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Happy should all be here somewhere!"

More guild members stepped outside of the guild hall to welcome their heroes home, Makarov at the forefront.

"Take them inside," he told Elfman, "Mira will get them food and water. The rest of us will look for the remaining members of Team Natsu.

Elfman nodded, picking Wendy, Lucy and Carla up to carry them inside.

"I can walk, you big oaf!" Lucy cried out, beating his chest with her fists, "Let me down! I have to find Natsu!"

Elfman looked down at the feisty blonde mage. The strength of her fists said otherwise. Lucy was still weak from whatever they had gone through.

"LET ME GO!" Lucy shrieked, struggling harder.

"Put a sock in it, sweetheart!" Evergreen hissed, "The Master said you're going inside. So shut up."

"What happened to you?" Mira exclaimed, as Elfman set the three down at a table.

Lucy tried to get up again, Evergreen pushing her back into her chair forcefully.

Lisanna scrambled to place water glasses and a pitcher on the table, then yelled to Kinana to bring sandwiches.

Lucy shook her head, "I don't _know._ We were facing the 5th dragon. Her magic...it was so powerful. One minute we were battling, the next…" her voice broke off. The dragons didn't matter, "I need to find Natsu."

She stood, wavering slightly on her feet. Mira caught her arm, gently forcing her to sit again.

"Not yet," she told Lucy, "First, you need to get your strength back. The other guild members will find him."

"She used Reversion Magic," Erza murmured as she limped in the doors, her arm around Elfman for support.

"Erza!" Lucy let out a sigh of relief, leaping up to hug her friend briefly, in spite of Evergreen mumbling that she was going to use her eye magic to turn Lucy to stone so she wouldn't be able to disobey orders anymore, "You're back to normal too!"

The redhead furrowed her brow, nodding, "So it would seem...but how? The last thing I remember is being locked inside my head. I couldn't hear...and I couldn't see...and I couldn't call out. It was worse than when Kyouka did it because she successfully took my ability to move too. I was rendered completely helpless."

The look on Erza's face said it all. Erza had overcome every adversity she'd ever come across. She had never felt so helpless. The Reversion Magnic had all but defeated even the mighty Titania.

"And I was overcome by fear," Wendy added, "I wanted to help you, but I was scared...like before I became a part of Fairy Tail. She reverted me to a helpless little girl."

"And Happy and I to new hatchlings," Carla added.

Her solemn face lit up as Happy burst through the doors, followed by Bisca, Alzack and Azuka.

"LUUUSHI!" Happy cried out, slamming into Lucy's chest, "What happened to us? Why are we home again?"

"I can't remember," Lucy murmured, "I can't remember what happened."

Her headache had subsided, but she still couldn't seem to recall anything past confronting the 5th dragon.

"She reverted you to when the Book of END tried to take you," Gray stated, appearing at the doorway. His arm was swung over Cana's shoulders for support as they headed to the front of the guild, "Those weird veins took over your body and your temperature shot up...only this time, I wasn't beside you to keep you from absorbing the words in END's Book...Natsu and I were busy trying to protect Wendy and Erza. By the time I realized what was going on, it was too late."

The guild froze, exchanging confused expressions.

"Wait…" Lucy whispered in horror, "Are you saying..?"

Gray nodded, "The Book took you over...you absorbed the demonic force in the book...and then you attacked."

Lucy's face was ashen, the guild shocked.

"Please," Lucy said softly, "I need to know."

"You would have destroyed us," Gray said quietly, "At first, you focused all your rage on the dragon. You would have kicked her ass, but she chanted some other spell and suddenly, you turned on us. Natsu and I didn't want to use our magic on you, but you were seriously going to kill us. Natsu got caught off guard by an attack from the dragon. You were powering up like you were going to explode...so I did the only thing I could think of to save you."

Lucy shook her head, uncertain she wanted to hear the rest.

"You used Iced Shell," Laxus supplied, "You stopped Lucy from killing herself and everyone else by freezing her with your life force."

Gray nodded solemnly.

"But if you use Iced Shell, shouldn't you be dead?" Bickslow asked, his creepy wooden dolls chanting 'Be dead! Be dead!'

Gray shook his head, "I don't know what happened after that either. I have a blank part in my memory too."

"I'm beginning to put it all together," Makarov stated, "I think I know who this 5th dragon was. Reversion Magic is a dark magic, all practices of it strictly forbidden. It explains what's been going on around here too."

Team Natsu exchanged glances. The Master's tone set them on edge. They were afraid to ask for details.

"Juvia and Gajeel," Levy said softly, "They reverted to their Phantom Lord personas and outright attacked Team Shadow Gear when we were on our way home from a mission."

"We were able to hold them off this time," Jet shrugged, knowing that was a moot point. The attack had lead to an all-out fight between guild members. Family had attacked family. Makarov had had no choice but to order the immediate banishment.

Levy audibly sniffed back her tears.

"But if we've all reverted back to ourselves, then Gajeel and Juvia will have reverted now too, right?" Wendy cried out, "They can't get kicked out for what they can't control!"

"Possibly," Gray hummed, gratefully sipping the water that Mira brought to him, "What I'd like to know is why Juvia and Gajeel were reverted in the first place."

"They had suspicions!" Droy exclaimed, "They were investigating the new member."

"New member?" Carla asked, her eyes getting wide.

Max nodded, "Touka."

A heavy silence blanketed the guild as the whole picture clicked together.

"She used us," Evergreen seethed, looking like she wanted to chase Touka down and mete out some justice. She could feel her Thunder God team humming in agreement behind her, "She infiltrated our guild and _used_ us!"

"She claimed that she was in love with Natsu!" Lisanna stated, watching Lucy carefully for her reaction, "She claimed that the year Natsu was away, he saved her from some bandits. They became…" she could hardly get the word out, "lovers...and traveled together for a time."

Lucy buried her face in her arms, trying to hide the tears that slid down her cheeks. Touka had made sure to tell Team Natsu that as well. Worse, Natsu hadn't bothered to deny it.

"It didn't seem like a likely story to Juvia or Gajeel," Mira added quickly, trying to draw Lucy's frazzled attention back to the conversation, "So they decided to investigate."

"They must have gotten too close to the truth," Reedus added, "So she took them out of the picture."

"Nevertheless," an unseen voice that could only belong to Makarov interceded. The crowd parted, allowing him to approach the tattered Team Natsu, "If you've all reverted back to your strongest form, Touka has been defeated."

"I'm not sure how that could be," Erza frowned, "Because I absolutely do not recall a victory."

Lucy shook her head, her agony increasing as she realized Natsu still wasn't present in the room with them.

"It was Natsu," Lucy whispered.

She didn't try to hide her tears this time. She knew it to be true. She pushed back from her stool, storming for the front doors. This time, Evergreen and Mira didn't try to stop her. Gray, Erza, Wendy, Happy and Carla scurried behind her. The rest of the guild exchanged glances, then scrambled to catch up.

"NATSUUUU!" Lucy screamed into the field.

There was still a small group of mages combing the field for him.

"PLEASE, NATSU! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"C'mon, you bastard! This isn't funny!" Gray bellowed through cupped hands.

The guild spread out, combing every inch of the field as Lucy's tears washed down her cheeks. She collapsed to the ground, her feeling of foreboding growing more intense with each passing second.

"He's not coming," a new voice, unfamiliar to Fairy Tail, but very familiar to Team Natsu, stated to Makarov.

Lucy growled, getting off the ground. She whirled around, her tears turning to rage. A tall wizard with a gray beard stood beside Makarov, an envelope in his hand.

"Where is he?" she demanded, pushing the man back with both hands, "Where in the hell is Natsu? Get him back here... _right now!"_

"I cannot, young lady," Elefceria replied, stealing himself for another push as Lucy wound up a second time, "However, I've come to explain...so at least you will know what happened. It was his last request."

"Last request?" Lucy shrieked, "What did you do with him? WHERE IS NATSU?"

"Lucy," Makarov put a hand on her forearm. If his hold had been forceful, she would've pushed him off. But he touched her with a fierce gentleness...it was the same type of touch she received after her dad died.

All the fight left her body at once.

"It was the only way to save you, Lucy," Elefceria stated solemnly, "Natsu defeated Touka. His rage over your deaths...gave him strength unlike any seen in the history of Earthland. His wish was to have his friends back...but that was impossible. The demon from the Book of END had overtaken Lucy's soul. There _is_ no coming back from that."

He paused to wipe a tear from his own burning eyes, "The only solution was to destroy END."

"With END gone," Elfman said slowly, "The demon couldn't hold onto Lucy's soul."

"He sacrificed himself?" Lucy cried out.

 _This can't be right. This can't be happening. Natsu would never leave me._

Her throat was so restricted, she had to choke out the words, "UNDO IT, OLD MAN! Fairy Tail isn't Fairy Tail without Natsu! Undo it!"

She collapsed to the ground, broken, Oh, so very broken. Gray stooped to catch her.

"If it helps any," Elefceria said quietly, handing Makarov the reward money for the completed 100 Year Quest, "His last words were that he loves you, Lucy. Nothing ever happened between him and Touka...you're the only one who held his heart. He said that you should live on...love life. Grow stronger."

He paused, his face turning into a frown.

"What else did he say, Geezer?" Gray demanded, "By the look on your face, there's more."

Elefceria sighed, shaking his head at the guild's scornful, waiting glances, "Very well...his exact words were 'Fucker can't even bring me back, Luce. Do me a favour and bitch-slap this asshole, wouldja?' "

 _It sure as hell sounded exactly like Natsu._

"Fine by me!" Gray pounded his fist into the palm of his hand. Frost coated his hands as his feet shuffled into an offensive stance.

Erza sighed, smashing her fist into Gray's head, "Cool it, Ice Boy. Now is not the time."

Rubbing his sore noggin, Gray shot a disgruntled look at the requip mage but settled. He was angry...angry at Natsu for sacrificing himself and he wanted nothing more than to take it out on the pompous old man, but as he caught Lucy's eyes, he realized his own anger was minimal compared to what Lucy was going through right now. She didn't need a chauvinistic display of dominance. She needed the love and support of her guild family.

The others seemed to sense it too, gathering around her as she screamed out her agony. Her entire body trembled as she repeated over and over, "It's not true...it can't be true."

 _Except it was._

Gray lowered his fists, Erza putting a supportive hand on his forearm.

Lucy's breath was coming out wrong, too stilted and her lungs left like they couldn't get enough oxygen. _This can't be happening._

The wizened man couldn't offer her any pretty words of condolences, so he turned to Makarov, "There will another request to kill Dragon-turned slayers...and I hope Fairy Tail will be up to the task."

Makarov nodded, "We'll be ready."

The gnarled mage disappeared into a wisp of thin air. Lucy felt her legs wobble and give out. She was caught by Erza, who was too shocked to do more than lower the blonde's limp body to the soft ground. All that was left in the old man's wake was a piece of crumpled up paper and a guild filled with broken hearts.

* * *

Up in the highest mountain, far from the rolling hillside and deep forests of Magnolia, a dragon roared. Fire exploded from his mouth, decimating the entire tree line across from him. Rocks crumbled into ash and a third of the mountain range slid into the water below. The flaming pine trees blackened and charred by the time they reached the sea. Acrid smoke filled the air, shrouding the mountain like winter fog.

Satisfied at the display of power, the dragon returned to the cave entrance.

Elefceria had killed END, but he had found a way for Natsu to continue living. His method was...unconventional to say the least…but better than true death. The life of Natsu Dragneel the Human was over. His dragon form, however, was left to live on.

But Natsu's thoughts were not ones of a creature whose sole purpose was to hunt and eat and survive...

The sunset was casting out bright colours: pink...and gold. It reminded him of the woman he loved. Her pink guild stamp flashing on the porcelain skin of her right hand. How many times had he held that hand?

Too few. Far too few.

And her golden locks that could put the setting sun to shame. How he wished to run his fingers through them, look into her eyes and say the words that were beating within his heart.

He would never see her again, but that was nothing, _nothing..._ as long as she lived.

 _Lucy._

Fire may have forged him, but his soul was cleaved from the light between the stars. Her light. As long as that light was still out there, he could watch it like a beacon and know she was home.

Somehow, that would have to be enough for him.

* * *

 _ **A/N: And that, dear friends, is my final prompt for Nalu Week 2018. I hope you enjoyed these stories as much as I've enjoyed writing them. There are several prompts here that I wouldn't mind finishing. We'll see...I'm supposed to be retiring! lol **_

_**HOWEVER, next up will be the completion of Before I Get Gray. I figure I'm no more than 5 - 10 chapters before that story is done. After that, I still have Angel of Oops 2, Dating Oops, and Buck-A-Suck to complete. I'll be kicking around for awhile.**_

 _ **Thank you to everyone for their comments. I try to reply to each one. Guests - if I can't reply to you, please know that I do read every comment and appreciate them greatly.**_

 _ **Until next time,**_

 _ **~Shana~**_


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